


You Owe Me a Favor

by akureyri



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Sports, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkward Flirting, Basketball, Bickering, Drama, Dumb Jock Adora, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Flirting, High School, Human Catra (She-Ra), Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Jock Adora (She-Ra), Lesbian Adora (She-Ra), Lesbian Catra (She-Ra), Lesbian Disaster Adora (She-Ra), Light Angst, Love at First Sight, Mutual Pining, Pining, Rivalry, Romance, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Sports, Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:28:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29081643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akureyri/pseuds/akureyri
Summary: Trouble stirs in Bright Moon Academy when a potty-mouth so-called rebel named Catra transfers in. Only God knows why she got accepted in the first place.Catra easily gains recognition as she makes the new campus her playground, but not the good kind. The golden child popular kid Adora gets assigned to watch over her for the remainder of the year. Constantly butting heads, Adora marks this year as one of the worst she’s ever had, but quickly learns that there’s more that meets the eye for the trouble student.A.K.A. Adora and Catra battle for the Dumb Jock of the Year award
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 65
Kudos: 142





	1. Not Nice to Meet You

**Author's Note:**

> I know I have a WIP but this AU was too good to pass up!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra begrudgingly begins her first few days as a transfer student, making a quick name for herself as the big bad troublemaker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been thinking about writing another fan fiction for a while now, and I am proud to introduce a basketball AU rivalry Catradora!! It will be shorter than Look My Way, but it will be interesting nonetheless (I hope) so please sit tight and enjoy!  
> This may or may not have smut... probably as an epilogue chapter who knows how I feel later.

Catra scrunched her face up with utter disgust. Garnering a few looks of disapproval with having her legs rested on the principal’s table, she ignored the pressure of unwanted eyes. “You’ve gotta be joking me,” she scoffed. It was Friday, and her weekend was already going to be soured by whatever the principal was pissed off at her at the moment.

A trip to the principal’s office was not uncommon for Catra. She practically knew the staff at the main office by first name— much to their chagrin. Minor offence, major offence; it didn’t matter. It was all the same to her anyway. She knew they loved her, she brought all the reputation to the school in the first place.

What the hell did she do for that, you may ask? Well, simple. She’s the star point-guard of the basketball team at Horde High. She earned the team every single one of their wins— a few championship belts at that too ever since she joined. The coach despises her attitude and slightly dirty play style, but wins are wins. Her minutes in the game were proportionally skewed in terms of other players, but what can you do when she is the ace?

”Catra, I’ll ignore your attitude for the fact that this will probably be the last time I’m seeing you,” Principal Hordak sighed into his hands. He looked up with relief afterwards. The troublemaker was soon to be out of his hands.

”Woah, woah, woah!” Catra finally sat up, regaining a slightly better posture. “You’re expelling me? What the fuck did I do?!” Now this was an unexpected precedent.

”Language,” Hordak sighed again. No other student would dare curse infront of an authority figure. No other student would show such disrespect either. “But I’m not expelling you per se. You’ll just be... attending a different school.”

”So you’re kicking me out.”

”May I finish, Miss Weaver?”

”Sure, sure. No one’s stopping you.”

“Bright Moon Academy and Horde High reached a... deal with each other. We’re trading students for a better partnership together. It turns out you were their top pick, which is...” he eyed her. “Good luck to them is all I can say.”

”No way I’m gonna mingle with fuc... I mean stupid preps. What makes you think I’m gonna fit in there?”

”Strangely enough, you don’t fit in at Horde High either. Anyway,” Hordak continued. “The least I could do for you as a ‘thank you’ for being such a good student here was refer you to their basketball team.”

”Gee, thanks. Do I really get no say in this?” Catra pouted, crossing her arms. “You’re for real gonna make me leave all my friends behind?”

”Unfortunately, no. I bid you farewell now. I can’t do any more for you; you’ll be an upstanding Bright Moon student starting Monday.”

”What if I promise you I’ll never get in trouble again?” Catra shot Hordak her best puppy-dog eyes. “Please?”

Shaking his head profusely, Hordak put a hand up between them. “As tempting as that offer is, the deed is already done. Paperwork’s signed and everything.”

”Fuck,” Catra kicked her backpack laying on the ground. “Three years, and this is how you repay me? This school wouldn’t even be on the map if it weren’t for me, you know?”

”I do know, and I earnestly appreciate your achievements you earned and brought to the school. This was an unforeseeable event that happened.”

That was sweet talk for: ‘just get the fuck out of my sight.’ Catra could read between the lines. “Yeah, yeah,” she slung her bag over a shoulder, stomping out of the office. “Appreciate my ass as I walk out the door.”

Slamming the door to the principal’s office on the way out, she trudged towards the parking lot of the school, where her friends hung out after classes. Sitting on the roof of her car, Scorpia called out to Catra passing by. “Hey, Wildcat!”

Catra noticed the desperate waving of her friend and walked over to her. She was talking to Lonnie, Kyle, and Rogelio. “Hey, guys,” Catra nodded. “Guess where I was for the past twenty minutes.”

”What the hell did you do this time?” Lonnie chuckled. “Set a few books on fire?”

”Nah, even worse,” Catra rolled her eyes, leaning on the car. “He’s kicking me out of Horde High for the year.”

The group collectively yelled a loud, _**‘WHAT?!’**_ knocking Catra off her balance. “You got expelled?! Now really, what the hell did you do?” Scorpia jumped down, putting her hands on Catra’s shoulders.

”Not ‘expelled’,” Catra air-quoted. “He says I’m gonna be part of a student exchange program or something and Bright Moon Academy picked me of all people. What a fucking joke.”

”You’re right,” Lonnie scoffed. “That fucking sucks. Did you try to get him to change his mind?”

”Yep, but he wouldn’t budge. Annoying asshole.”

”So... that’s it?” Kyle raised a brow. “You’re gone for the rest of the year?”

”It seems like it. I’ll miss you losers.”

“We’ll still hang out and stuff, right?”

”Of course. I’m just moving schools, not cities, Kyle.”

”We were waiting for you before going to the diner,” Scorpia added. “Wanna come?”

Catra shook her head. “Not today. This whole thing kinda fucked up my whole mood today. Sorry.”

”That’s cool. See you later then, Catra,” Scorpia waved her off as she walked away. The group said their goodbyes and hopped in Scorpia’s car.

As Catra walked home, she put on ear buds and blasted music. She wasn’t lying about the conversation with Hordak souring her day. It pissed her the fuck off. She was gonna leave everything she knew behind suddenly without warning, and was expected to be okay with it. Hell no. Maybe getting expelled there would have her circle back to Horde High, but maybe that would be too risky. It‘d be on her record, and that wouldn’t be good.

Bright Moon Academy and Horde High have been rivals for decades. Them being just mere blocks from each other cemented that. They fought over everything— academics, music, and most of all... sports. Horde High had a wild card that won them back to back basketball championships and games. It was strange how they were willing to give away their only good athlete. Wait, yeah. Why the fuck would they do that in the first place? Catra couldn’t wrap her head around it at all.

As Catra rounded the corner to her neighborhood, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her cat being chased by a weird blonde girl. She was running after the cat, saying ‘pspspsps’ as it deftly avoided being caught. What. The. Hell. Melog, her cat, seemed to notice its owner during the chase and rerouted towards Catra. Jumping into her arms, it purred heavily.

The stranger didn’t seem to notice Catra and almost collided into her as her heels skidded to a halt. Huffing and puffing, she bent over, putting both hands on her knees. “Is... that your cat?”

Catra watched as the blonde tried to catch her breath. “Yeah, why the fuck were you chasing it?”

”It took my keys...”

Catra tilted her head to look at Melog, who indeed had keys in its mouth. “Oh.” She took the keys out and dangled it in front of the stranger. “Yeah, Melog’s a little menace sometimes. Sorry about that.”

The stranger looked up, and almost passed out when she made eye contact with Catra. As if her face wasn’t flushed before, it turned an even brighter shade of pink. Catra was the prettiest fucking girl she had ever seen, period. “O-oh... Um, it’s no problem at all?” 

She mentally facepalmed. _“Why the fuck did I say that like I was asking a question? Nice going, Adora! Way to look weird in front of the hot girl!”_

Adora seemed to relax a little when the girl let out a soft giggle that quickly stole her heart. “I’ve never seen you around before,” she put a hand on her hip, the other cradling Melog. “I’m Catra.”

”Ooh, Catra! You have a cat. Cat... ra?”

Catra was definitely not amused by the weak attempt at a joke. “No.” Her smile faded.

”I-I mean, I’m Adora! Nice to meet you!” Adora fumbled for words. She was trying to make a good impression, but it clearly was not working out for her. Pretty girls are so fucking hard to talk to. “Yeah, I don’t really visit this neighborhood often. I just wanted to test out a shortcut... and then your cat stole my keys.”

”I see. Wait, how did that even happen?”

”Uh...” Adora rubbed her neck. “It’s kinda embarrassing.”

Catra grinned, causing Adora’s heartbeat to quicken. “Come on, you can tell me.”

“Fine, fine,” Adora sighed. “I saw your cat as I was walking down the street, and tried to play with it. It seemed to be interested in my keys, so I may have taken it out.”

”You’re kidding me.”

”I didn’t expect it to swipe them and run! I had to chase it around for like five minutes before you came. Thank God you did though, I was just about to run out of energy.”

”You’re welcome. Anyway, I gotta dash. It was nice meeting you, Adora.”

God, the way she said Adora’s name made her heart flutter and her stomach do flips. The word sounded so sweet as it left Catra’s mouth. Love at first sight wasn’t real, right? So what the hell was Adora feeling now? “Right, right.”

Catra’s eye caught a glimpse of Adora’s duffel bag, a large Bright Moon Academy Logo hugging the front. “You’re from Bright Moon, huh?” It seemed like the school was following her around all day.

”Yeah, I am. I don’t recognize you though. Where do you go?”

”Horde High,” Catra pursed her lips. Though that was about to change. But the girl didn’t need to know. They probably wouldn’t talk to eachother. “I’ll see you soon.”

Catra walked away from Adora and headed towards her house, Adora taking in her scent as she breezed past. _“Wait... ‘see you soon’? What does that mean?”_ Adora couldn’t help but turn around as Catra left. The likelihood of them meeting again was slim to none. They went to different schools, who were in fact rivals. A short-lived crush was quickly... crushed.

Adora sighed as she made her way back home. Like a bandit, Catra stole her heart and ran far, far away.

The following Monday, Catra found herself... lost. Lost in the ever-loving maze called Bright Moon Academy. Students blazed past her, already knowing their destination. She hugged the new books in her arms, irritated at the heaviness. _“This is fucking ridiculous. You’re telling me that this school’s books don’t fit in my damn backpack?”_ Catra tried all morning to stuff them all in, but no matter how hard she tried, they made her backpack look like an actual block. No way in hell she was going to school looking like that shit.

This was already going bad. Getting lost in a new school is predictable, but where the fuck are the maps or even signs? She tried looking up an online map of the school, but it made her even more confused. Curse these trust-fund babies.

Sighing as she looked around for any sign of direction, she still couldn’t find a way out. Catra was supposed to go to the principal’s office first thing in the morning, but how the fuck was she gonna find it first? As she turned around, she bumped into an unsuspecting stranger. Falling on her ass, she groaned as she braced for the impact with her arms outstretched. The loud clatter of the books got a few people’s attention, but not a lot.

“Watch it, fuckface!” As Catra opened her eyes, she recognized the person she had just insulted. “Oh, it’s you,”

Adora was still standing, mouth agape at what just happened. Stammering as she tried picking up the books, Adora apologized profusely. “I’m so sorry! That was my fault!” She stacked the books up one by one. Pausing as she finally processed the situation, she furrowed her brows. “Wait... didn’t you say... you went to Horde High? What are you doing here?”

”Not happy to see me?” Catra winked. “Surprise.”

Adora’s face flushed pink once more, and she was left sputtering for words like an idiot. “No! I mean, yes! I’m happy to see you, just... What-“

”It’s a long story. Maybe I’ll tell you later, who knows,” Catra dusted herself off. “Actually, do me a favor, why don’t you?”

”Sure! Anything!” Adora replied a little too eagerly.

”Show me around to the principal’s office. I gotta go there for the morning about something.”

”Oh, I can do that. I need to go there anyway.”

”Cool, lead the way,” Catra took a step aside, letting Adora pass through. “You can hold my books for the rest of the way there, thanks.”

”Um, no problem...”

Adora guided Catra through the unfamiliar hallways, making small talk along the way. “So... why’d you transfer?”

”I said it was a long story. I’m not joking, it’ll take a few minutes out of your life.”

”Oh, okay. Then... do you have any hobbies?”

”Nope.”

”Are you excited to go here?”

”Fuck no. This is the last place I wanna be. No offense.”

”None taken.”

Adora cringed at how dry the conversation was. Then again, they don’t really know each other. From her responses, Catra seemed to really not want to be here. Maybe she was forced to transfer or something. As they approach the principal’s office, Adora stopped just outside of the door. “Here it is. Do you wanna go in first?”

”Nah, it’ll probably only take a few minutes. You can come inside with me,” Catra nonchalantly swung open the door, causing Adora and everyone inside to flinch. Her free-spirited attitude was surprisingly... not expected. “Sup?” Catra greeted the people sitting in the office as she strolled in, hands in pockets.

“...A knock would've been nice, Miss Weaver,” the lady sitting at the desk sighed. Her nameplate read ‘Angella Moon’. “You’re lucky I just finished up this meeting.” She recognized the girl from her student ID picture... and her infamous personality.

The man she seemed to be talking to gave a quick handshake before leaving. “Eh, take what you can get,” Catra slumped down on the chair. “So, whaddya want from me?”

”Lord help me, your attitude is as bad as Hordak says. I didn’t expect him to not be exaggerating.”

”Just get to the point. I don’t have all morning. It took me forever to get here, so I’ll probably be late to my classes, on purpose or not. Shit, I’m only here on time because of blondie over there,” Catra nodded her head back towards Adora.

”Watch your tone and language with me now, young lady. We’re welcoming you with hospitality, but that can change if you take advantage of it.” Principal Moon took a glance at Adora standing shell-shocked behind Catra. “Oh, Adora. It’s nice to see you already met the new transfer student. I’m glad I can talk to you together.”

”Is that why you called me in?”

”Of course,” Principal Moon leaned in over her desk. “Take a seat before I continue, Miss Grayskull.”

Taking a seat cautiously, Principal Moon didn’t wait before getting into the details. “I’m sure both of you will be a good match.”

”What?” Catra quirked an eyebrow up. “What the hell are you talking about?”

”Miss Weaver, this is your last warning. Watch your language.”

”My bad.”

”I’ve decided to have Adora here guide you through the year. She’s an upstanding student here at Bright Moon, so I expect nothing but good things with her watching over you.”

Catra scoffed. “So she’s my babysitter.”

Principal Moon didn’t reply at first. I mean, Catra wasn’t really wrong. After looking at Catra’s infractions and rap sheet, it would be wise to have someone watch over her to keep her in check. The only person that came to mind instantly was the straight-A star athlete, Adora Grayskull. Students and staff alike adore her work ethic and accomplishments. Giving her the responsibility of handling Catra was something Principal Moon wasn’t worried about at all.

”You can say that. Well, think what you will. Anyway, I’ve assigned you two the same schedule. What classes Adora has, you will also take for the next two semesters,” Principal Moon rummaged through her drawers for paperwork.

”I’m surprised at your academia, Catra,” Principal Moon chattered absentmindedly as she sifted through the papers. “For such a troublemaker, you are adept at all of your subjects.”

Scoffing at the backhanded compliment, Catra crossed her arms. “Gee, thanks. That really made me feel good about myself.”

”No, no. I’m serious. A 4.0 G.P.A in the midst for five suspensions? I’m impressed at your due diligence. I’m happy to know your academia is as good as your athletic ability.”

”Wow, keep going with the compliments. They sure are great.”

”No need to humble yourself, Catra. Bright Moon Academy welcomes a student such as you. We believe you can do as good, if not better here than in Horde High. Speaking of... I remember Hordak called in a favor for you the other day. You wanted to be put in the basketball team?”

Adora looked up as soon as ‘basketball team’ left Principal Moon’s mouth. Catra played basketball? Not only will they have classes together, they’ll be on the same team? Maybe things were looking up. Shit; who wouldn’t want to spend time with a total bombshell?

”I didn’t ask, but sure. I can help out your team, I guess,” Catra shrugged.

”I talked with the girl’s basketball team’s coach, and he was reluctant in accepting you. Unfortunately, he is afraid that your team play and ability will not be up to his standards considering your past transgressions. He is by all means impressed, but he’s looking for a more unified approach to the game.”

”So I got rejected? Cool.”

”No, no,” Principal Moon shook her head. “You didn’t get denied entry to the team. He just wants to test the waters with you first. There is practice scheduled after school today, and he expects you to be there. Be late, and he won’t hesitate to move on without you. Adora can bring you to the gym after your class together.”

”You’re in the team too?” Catra glanced over at Adora, who hadn’t said much since she stepped inside the office.

”Um... yeah. I am.”

”In the team?” Principal Moon chuckled. “Catra, dear, she’s the team captain. She’s one of our best players, in fact.”

”Is that so?” Catra smirked. “Well, that’s about to change with me around. See to it that I dethrone the golden child within a week,” she propped her legs up on the desk— a horrible habit she has yet to drop. Catra widened her eyes, instantly putting them back down. “Sorry.”

”Yes, what good determination. I’m excited to see what you can bring to Bright Moon Academy,” Principal Moon looked at the clock on the wall. “Move along now, class will start soon. Can’t have you two be late now, especially on your first day here.”

Catra quickly got up and grabbed her backpack, Adora following suit. “I’ll see ya later, Angella.”

”That’s Ms. Moon to you. Goodbye. I hope that next time we meet, you are more apt in polite mannerisms. Goodbye to you too, Adora.”

Before they are able to leave, Principal Moon stops them one last time. “Wait, Catra,” she called out. “Where is your uniform? It seems that I failed to mention that when you first walked in.”

”There’s a uniform?”

”Yes, it’s in the rules and guidebook.”

”Oh, I didn’t bother reading the guidebook. And I just assumed it was a dress code, not an actual uniform. Whoops,” Catra shrugged.

”You didn’t notice every other student wearing the uniform?”

”Uh, I thought it was spirit day or something. I don’t know. The uniform looks kinda whack anyway.”

”Tomorrow, or actually, for the rest of the school year, you will be required to come to school wearing the uniform. This is not negotiable, understand?”

“Yup, yup,” Catra nonchalantly nodded along, already walking out the door. “Totally.”

Adora almost tripped over her feet trying to catch up to Catra, who was mindlessly wandering around the hallways. “Catra!” she reached out, grabbing her shoulder. “Wait a minute!”

Catra turned around, giving Adora the most shit-eating grin ever. “Hey, Adora,” she drawled. “What’s up?”

Shaking off the fluttering feelings, Adora frowned. “You’re going the wrong way. Class is upstairs, not towards the entrance!” she pointed the opposite direction Catra was heading. “Come on, we’ll be late to class.”

”Shit’s too boring. I was thinking about grabbing some food first. Wanna come?” She knew Adora wasn’t that type of person, but it was still fun to tease her.

”Food? The bell will literally ring in like four minutes. You don’t have time to get food.” Adora couldn’t believe what she was hearing. First the attitude problems, now it was skipping class? Were Horde High students all like... this?

”Hey, can’t blame a girl for getting hungry. So, you coming or what? I saw a good joint down the street,” Catra turned around once more, but Adora quickly blocked her way. “Watch it.”

”No way! We’re going to class, whether you like it or not. I can’t have you skip class on the first damn day of school! Principal Moon will kill me!”

Catra ducked under Adora’s arms, picking up her walking pace. “Nooope. Can’t make me.”

Adora found herself running to block Catra’s path, who in turn started sprinting. She was as nimble as her damn cat, and that was annoying as hell. Before she realized it, Adora was chasing Catra down the hallways, who was easily weaving in and out of the crowds. Adora on the other hand, didn’t have the same agility to follow— so instead she bumped into a mass of people. “Catra! Get back here!” 

Catra ignored the onlookers and uneasy stares. She didn’t care. If she was gonna be forced to attend this shitty school, she was gonna make the best of it. She was gonna have fun— one way or another.

Adora’s worst fear came true when she heard the bell ring, and she and Catra were still running in the halls, which might I add was completely against the rules. Luckily, no monitors were in the halls to catch them. “Catra, I’m not playing these games! We have to go to class!”

”How about you catch me first?” Catra cackled, still running ahead of Adora by a good distance.

After a good few minutes of chasing Catra, Adora finally got the last leg and tackled the runaway down. It was a little too much, but she didn’t care. The two landed on the hard floor with a big ‘oomf’. As Catra struggled against the hold, Adora pinned her arms down. Straddling her, Adora huffed between words out of breath. “I’m taking you to fucking class, that’s that. No more of whatever the hell you’re playing at.” The hallways were now empty— the distant voices of teachers slipping out of classrooms every now and then.

Catra grinned as she saw Adora was winded, yet she herself barely broke a sweat. What was impressive, however, was the fact that the blonde caught up to her in the first place. She was sure she kept her at a good distance. Wrenching a hand free, Catra reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Adora’s ear. “Okay, okay,” she giggled. “You win.”

Sitting up in surprise, Adora let go of Catra. She felt her face fill up with heat as she processed the situation she was in... straddling Catra. They were close. Really close. Her hand shot up to her mouth, trying to cover her embarrassment, but it seemed like it was too late.

Catra lightly traced a line along Adora’s jaw with a finger. “So when are you gonna get off me? Or do you not wanna go to class anymore?” she winked. As much as she liked having Adora be on top of her, it wasn’t exactly comfortable to be laying flat on the dirty, hard floor.

Adora grit her teeth, trying to keep her cool. “Are you gonna promise me that you’ll go to class?”

”Whatever you say, babe,” Catra flicked Adora’s forehead. “Anything for you.”

Tensing her entire body, Adora couldn’t help but be head over heels for the damned troublemaker. What was so enticing about her? Her looks? Her infuriating personality? What Adora knew, however, was that her feelings of the crush were not diminishing anytime soon— no matter how hard Catra was making it to like her. It was a curse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’re liking the fanfic, please leave a kudo or comment! I look forward to hearing your thoughts and or appreciation! Thanks in advance.
> 
> Now this AU... is something I can get into. I already have a rough outline of the fic, but it might be a while before I update. My other fanfic has priority right now as it is close to finishing. I won’t neglect this AU though! This was definitely fun to write.


	2. Heartbreaker and Anklebreaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turns out Catra’s skilled in multiple things: Pissing off every single person she meets, and also being a basketball prodigy that can make the same people turn a blind eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this fic isn’t as word heavy, I found myself working on it during my free time. Worry not, I’m still updating my other fic.
> 
> By the way, check out the first chapter again for a small drawing of how their meeting went donw.

“I can’t believe you. You’re such a...” Adora dragged Catra by the wrist down the hall. “A...”

”Menace? I know. I don’t plan on making shit easy for you guys,” Catra sneered, trying her best to not lose her balance over the iron grip Adora had on her.

”Why? What did I ever do to deserve whatever this is?”

”It’s nothing personal,” Catra chuckled. “You’re just sitting in the crossfire.”

”This is the first time I’ve ever been late to a class! What’s next, I get detention because of you?”

”Ask and you shall receive, my dear.”

”Ugh,” Adora groaned. “That’s not what I meant! How am I gonna explain this to the teacher? Crap, even my parents.”

”It’s not that big of a deal,” Catra rolled her eyes. Adora being this worked up over a tardy slip was slightly an overreaction. “It’s just one class.”

”Are you kidding me? Razz will give me a pass this time since it’s my first offence, but my moms will fucking kill me. I promised them to have perfect attendance this year.”

”I’m sure they won’t know till the first report card comes home. Don’t worry about it too much.”

”What? No, the school calls your parents when you skip class or when you’re late. Won’t your parents care about that sort of stuff?”

”My mom doesn’t give a fuck about me, but it goes both ways,” Catra spat out almost instant. She seemed unbothered, which rubbed Adora the wrong way. She didn’t think too much of it though. “So no, they don’t.”

Adora didn’t say anything; she couldn’t. Rather, she didn’t know what to say to that. ‘Oh?’ or ‘I’m sorry?’ But what would she have to be sorry about? It wasn’t really her business.

“Hey,” Catra suddenly stopped following Adora, the stop yanking the blonde back a little. Her usual face was now a strangely calm one. “It’ll be fine, okay? Don’t worry about it too much. A tardy’s not as bad as one of the six suspensions I got back at Horde High.”

Adora couldn’t help but laugh at the weird attempt of comforting her. It was off putting, but nonetheless took her mind off the issue for even a brief moment. “Okay, yeah,” she nodded, smile slowly forming on her face. “Hold on, didn’t Ms. Moon say you had five? Or was that four?”

Putting a finger to her lips, she winked as she shushed Adora. “It’s five officially. I was gonna get a sixth one, but I burned the file. Hordak gave up on trying to replace it or whatever.”

”What?!” Adora let out a loud burst of laughter. “And you didn’t get caught at all? How did that even work?”

”Don’t ask a magician about their tricks. Speaking of tricks, how long have you been the the basketball team? I don’t remember ever playing against you.”

”I started the summer before this semester started. A few friends of mine wanted me to join.”

”So if I didn’t transfer over, you would’ve handed over a dub to Horde High. You guys are so lucky I’m playing for the other team now.”

”Hey, you haven’t seen me play ball. I’m pretty good for snatching the captain’s title for my first time on the team.”

”How cute,” Catra scoffed.

 _”Did she just call me cute? Or is she calling what I just said cute? Wait, why the hell would she do that? God, she’s so confusing.”_ Adora stared at her blankly before remembering she had to reply. “I’m sure I can change your mind after a team scrimmage or even a one on one.”

“Sure, sure,” Catra shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

The aloofness of Catra was somewhat endearing to Adora. Something about her attitude infuriated her, yet drew her closer to the strange girl.

“Anyway, this is the room, right?” Catra pointed at a number plate on the wall. She was now standing infront of Adora, still holding her hand.

”Room 216... yeah. How’d you know?”

”I caught a glimpse of it on Angella’s paper before she sent us off. I remembered most of the room numbers, including this one.”

Adora blinked. She wasn’t gonna lie, that was actually kind of impressive. “That’s pretty cool...” she was cut off from the rest of her thoughts when Catra kicked open the door, causing every single student inside and the teacher to whip their head around to see what the hell that was all about. _“What the fuck.”_

”Sorry we’re late. Adora was just _begging_ for us to have a quickie,” Catra strolled in, head up high.

A look of utter horror flashed on Adora’s face— and stayed. “Wha...?” she was dumbfounded; her head was completely blank. Catra literally was just trying to comfort her, now she’s embarrassing her to the best of her ability? What the fuck was wrong with this girl?

Adora couldn’t wrap her head around the new girl’s thought process. She would be sweet one moment, then a complete demon in another. “I never—“

She was cut off again, but this time by her own teacher. Razz was standing there very confused. This type of situation had never happened before. “Um...” she looked at the two disrupters. “That’s nice to know, but I don’t think that’s the type of thing you would share with the class.”

”Sorry, sorry,” Catra cackled. “Just thought you’d wanna know why we were late.” She looked around the classroom and saw a few students trying to hold in either laughter of a face of judgment.

It was gonna be easy to get a rise out of the people here.

The next few classes pass by in anything but a breeze. Catra found herself disrupting classes every few minutes, much to Adora’s chagrin. It’s not a good look, yet she couldn’t do anything to stop whatever Catra decided to spontaneously do during the hour. Once lunch rolled around, Adora slumped over her table, tired of trying to keep Catra on a short leash. She sighed heavily as her friends Glimmer and Bow approached their table. Catra was already up and out of her seat, ready to go... wherever she pleased.

”I’m gonna drop by the corner store for lunch. Want anything? It’s my treat.”

”Um, but we can’t go off campus during school hou...” Glimmer started, but Adora grabbed her arm to stop her.

”Don’t. She doesn’t care or even listen to anybody else. It’s not worth wasting your time on her.”

”Oh, can I have a soda? It’d be nice if...” Bow quickly turned around.

”Soda? Cool, I’ll surprise you,” Catra practically ran out the classroom before he could tell her anything else.

”Well,” Bow shrugged. “Free soda, I don’t care.”

Glimmer sat down next to Adora, prompting Bow to do the same. “So... about the new transfer student.”

”Catra? Yeah, she’s a fucking handful.”

”I can tell. I’m surprised she hasn’t gotten a referral or anything yet. Everyone’s talking about her. Well, including us. Apparently she’s a troublemaker.”

”And hot,” Bow piped in, holding a finger up in the air. “If she asked me out, I might leave Glimmer in a heart beat.”

”God, and I’d ask her what she sees in you that she can’t see in me,” Glimmer giggled. “Yeah, and part of the talk is that she’s really hot. Must be nice, huh?”

”Okay, okay,” Adora groaned. “She’s hot, but she’s fucking crazy. She has no regards for rules or even standards. Catra just does whatever she wants. She’s already pissed off every single teacher she came across.”

”I mean, hey,” Bow shrugged. “Whatever floats her boat. She seems to be having the time of her life here.”

“As much as I want to spend time with her, she just drains all the energy I have. It’s like babysitting a toddler. They get into so many messes the second you take your eye off them.”

”Come on, she seems fun. She can liven things up around here.”

”Bow, she got suspended five times! She set fire to school records once— or even more, I don’t know— before! Fun or not, I think she’s crazy as hell. Don’t get me started on her personality.”

”What? I like her personality. Like... she’s cool.”

”She’ll be all sweet to me for once second, then she’ll turn around and prank me for fuck’s sakes,” Adora drummed her fingers on the table. “I don’t get her.”

”Sounds like you have a crush,” Bow jabbed her on the arm. “Adora and Catra sitting in a tree! K. I-“ before he could finish the rhyme, Adora put him in a headlock. “Woah! Okay, I’ll stop! I’ll stop!” he tapped her on the arm rapidly.

”Damn, you really like her. Is it her eyes? No, I know. It’s her ass—“

”Glimmer! Don’t talk about people that way,” Adora stammered out. The way her friends were hyping up her crush made her feel very, very embarrassed. She hoped to dear God that nobody was listening in to their conversation.

”I’m just saying I envy a lot of things about her. You’re right, it’s a little rude, but lord help me if I see her one more time—“

”What will you do?” Catra pressed a cold bottle of Dr. Pepper up against Glimmer’s face, causing the other girl to jump out of her seat, jaw dropping straight to the floor. Giggling at the reaction, she tossed the bottle to the unsuspecting Bow. “Here’s the drink you asked for. It was the cheapest at the shop.”

”Hey, I actually really like Dr. Pepper!”

”So what was that about me now?” Catra tried to hold in her laughter. 

“N-nothing!” Glimmer gasped, running out the classroom without sparing a single glance back. “I wasn’t talking about you or anything!”

Bow sighed, getting up after her. “I’ll go... talk to her...”

Crossing her arms after dropping the bag of food on the desk, Catra gave Adora a once-over. “Already talking about me to your friends? How cheeky.”

”They started it! They were asking all these questions about you and-“

”And somehow it got to the topic of my ass? Jesus, you Bright Moon fucks all need to get laid. Bad.”

”Look, I’m just saying that I didn’t bring any of whatever the weird things they talked about up.”

”Mhm,” Catra grinned. “But my eyes are are up here.”

”Wha-“

”Just playing with ya,” Catra winked. “You can look, just don’t touch. Well, maybe if you ask me nicely.”

Adora felt her face throb with heat— heart pound heavily against her chest. This was awful. The way Catra had her wrapped around her finger was too much to handle. “Let’s just... do nothing else for lunch, okay? No more breaking rules or causing trouble. I’ve had enough for the day.”

”Chill, I’m just gonna eat,” Catra pulled out a bag of chips from the plastic bag laying on the table. “Want some? It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.”

Adora paused for a moment before accepting the offer. “Sure, thanks.”

Catra tilted the bag over so Adora could grab a few. “By the way, are they coming back? They’re in the same class as us, right?”

”Glimmer just... needs some time to cool off before she’s ready to face you again.”

”Right, right,” Catra giggled. “I’d kill myself if I were in her shoes. Shit’s embarrassing as hell. Does she always talk like that? Or do I just have that effect on people?”

”Honestly, I think it’s cause you’re really pretty-“ Adora cupped a hand over her mouth. It was too late when those words slipped out of her mouth. Well, she shouldn’t feel that way. She was just complimenting Catra. “...And she got a little excited I guess.”

”Aw,” Catra drawled. “You think I’m pretty. How touching.” She pretended to not notice Adora blush even harder.

Avoiding eye contact, Adora acted like she was busy looking at her phone. Too bad the screen wasn’t even on. “How are classes so far?” She didn’t know what else to say at the moment.

”So-so. I’d rather be back at Horde High, you know. Where I spent three years of my life?” Catra scoffed. “But shit happens I guess.”

”Oh, you never told me why you transferred.”

”Right. Apparently I’m part of the student exchange program for the year. I heard Bright Moon was very keen on picking me as the person. What’s fucked up was that I didn’t even get a say in it.”

”A friend of mine was picked for that program. She’s the school’s best science-y person. I don’t really know how to describe her— she’s just really smart.”

”Cool, exchange for brains and athletics. How fair.”

”You talk yourself rich with your apparent basketball skills. I can’t wait to see you on the court myself.”

Catra snorted, almost choking on a chip. There was no way Adora had never heard of her before. Maybe she was playing dumb. “I guess you’ll see after school during practice.”

”Hey, I can’t say I’m not looking forward to it,” Adora rested her head on her palm. “Oh, look, they’re back.”

Glimmer was spotted through the windows of the classroom getting walked by Bow. Her head was low, shoulders slumped. She was probably trying to avoid eye contact with Catra. Unfortunately, as soon as Glimmer looked up, Catra was staring at her, waiting for the right moment to send a wink her way.

Mumbling as she trudged back to her seat, Glimmer ignored the wink. It was already embarrassing enough that she got caught talking about someone behind their back... but that person Catra? Lord help her.

Adora and Catra walked across the campus after classes, Catra clearly wanting to go home. “You know I never went to practices when I was still at Horde High,” Catra stretched, arms high in the air.

”Really? How’d you stay on the team then? Are they not mandatory?”

”Of course they are. I just didn’t feel like it. Coach couldn’t kick me out anyway. The team would just go to shit.”

”Were you the captain?”

”Duh,” Catra flicked Adora’s cheek.

”Ow, what was that for?” Adora put her hand on the newly throbbing side of her face. “That was a hard ass flick.”

”Just thought you were cute.”

Adora flared her nostrils as she sighed deeply. Everything Catra says just makes her feel so weak and awkward. Mostly because she didn’t know how to respond. ”Why are you like this?”

”Like what?”

”Whatever ‘this’ is,” Adora gestures towards Catra. “You’re always flirting with me and stuff.”

”You think this is flirting?” Catra giggled. There it was. The same laughter that set Adora’s heart ablaze. “Come on now.”

”It’s not?” Adora widened her eyes, looking like a deer struck by headlights.

”Ehh, if you really want it to be, then sure.”

”God, you drive me crazy.” Oops, Adora didn’t mean to say it out loud.

”Good to know.”

Adora pressed up against the gym’s door as she pushed it open. “Here’s the gym. You can go talk to Coach Hawke while I change, okay?”

”Sure, sure,” Catra rolled her eyes, strolling over to the taller man.

“What’s up, my dude?” Catra tilted her head as she greeted the coach.

 _“...Not like that,”_ Adora sighed. What did she even expect from Catra? She decided to go monitor their conversation before Catra said something she’d regret.

”...Weaver,” he replied. “And it’s not, ‘my dude’. You can call me Coach Hawke once you join the team, or C. Hawke for short. For now, it’s Mr. Hawke.”

He wasn’t too fond of Catra on the account that she completely destroyed his team on multiple occasions, on back to back years. “I take it you’re here to try out?”

”Try out? Come on, you’ve seen me play. Shit, half your team’s ankles still hurt from the last game we played together.”

”Mind your profanity. It’s required for me to see whether or not you pass the team’s regulations. It’s not personal.”

“I’ll pass your dumb test with flying colors then. I’m just saying it’s a waste of time when you already know what’s gonna happen.”

Adora raised a brow at Catra’s ego. It was astonishingly huge. She hoped Catra had the skills to back it up.

”Play a one on one match against the team’s captain. Win and you’re in. Lose and... well, better luck in college.”

”Pfft!” Catra shrugged her jacket off, seemingly eager to play. “Easy work.” She set her backpack to the side and rolled up the ankles of her jeans. “I’m ready, let’s hoop.”

”In slides?” Adora pointed to Catra’s interesting choice of footwear. “We have a spare uniform if you want to...”

”I’m good. I’m ready to go, come on.”

”Well,” Adora crossed her arms. “I need to change, unlike you. I’ll see you in a few minutes in actual comfortable clothes.”

As the crowd wait for the match to start, they found themselves chattering amongst each other. “Are you joking me? There’s no way Catra can win against her,” a freshman scoffed. “Adora’s the best on the team.”

”Of course you wouldn’t know,” an upperclassman chided in return. “Catra’s the best in the whole fucking city. Have you never seen a playback of one of her matches?”

”Why would I watch some no name?”

A few heads turn at the freshman obviously missing the point. “No name? Alright, let’s not get ahead of ourselves now-“

The whistle blew, cutting through the chatter. Catra stood there in front of Adora with a hand on her hip, clearly not interested in the matchup. Like she knew how it was going to end. That pissed off Adora. “You’re gonna regret not being prepared,” she grumbled. It wouldn’t hurt for Catra to take her seriously.

Catra let out a hearty chuckle. “Please, I could beat you with a sprained ankle.”

”You’re gonna have one when I cross your dumb ass,” Adora narrowed her eyes. She caught the ball tossed over to her by Catra, and threw it back in return, albeit a little more forcefully. “Game time.”

Adora crouched down slightly, taking a defensive stance with arms outstretched in a way she had practiced for months at a time now. She watched carefully as Catra dribbled the ball with one hand without a care in the world, the other in her pocket. What the hell was her game plan?

Catra then took exactly one step back, now at the three-point line. Her movements were so scarce that Adora couldn’t read them at all. It was somewhat intimidating. Without a word, Catra scooped the ball up after a single dribble, chucking it over Adora’s shoulder. As the ball whizzed past, Adora gasped as she turned around just in time to see the ball hit the backboard and land in the net.

Silence. Nobody said anything at the show of court domination. The eerily quiet gym only had the sound of the basketball bouncing against the floor. Just two moves and a few already could tell how everything was going to go down. “What’s wrong, Adora?” Catra smirked. “Too fast for you?”

No. That wasn’t it. Catra’s wide movements made her intentions clear, yet it was the result that shocked everyone. Nobody expects anyone to chuck a ball from the three-point line with one fucking hand. Especially as their first play of the game.

“Why don’t you play for real?”

”What are you talking about? That was my play style.”

Adora clicked her tongue. Fine. Catra played a little unorthodox. Still, Adora can win if she just focused. She picked up the ball, redoing the face off. This time, Catra had both of her hands out. “Here, I’ll follow the dumb fundamentals. Maybe you can guard me then.”

”No, play like you usually do. I can handle it.”

”Ask and you shall receive.”

At that split second, Catra slammed the ball down on the floor, it going between Adora’s slightly wide stance. By the time Adora realized what happened, Catra was already behind her, catching up to the ball she had just dribbled through her opponent’s legs. “Wha...?!”

The scoreboard changed as Catra did a smooth layup, earning her a single point. This was bad. By the looks of it, Catra still had more tricks up her sleeve. Adora has never seen anything like this before. It was throwing her off her game, and that wasn’t good. It was already three to zero. Well, for Catra it was. But for Adora’s ego? Hell no.

Adora grit her teeth as she watched Catra just stare at her with that cheeky grin. She couldn’t lie— Catra was good. “I’ll get you next time,” her frustration subsided and instead grew was a node of friendly competition.

”Bet on it?”

”What’s the prize?”

”A kiss?” Catra winked.

Adora almost spit out the gum she had in her mouth. “What?!” Not gonna lie, that was a pretty good prize- wait, what?

”A kiss!” Catra pulled a Hershey’s Kiss out from her pocket. She eyed Adora’s red face. “Or were you expecting something else?”

Left sputtering, Adora couldn’t believe Catra. Why the fuck did she just have that laying around? Was she preparing for this exact moment? What is wrong with her?! “No, I-I knew what you meant,” Adora threw the ball over to Catra. “Just play the fucking game, okay?!”

The game was disgustingly lopsided. Only a few minutes went by and it was already nine to four. Adora only scored because Catra tried being flashy and missed a few dunks trying to copy Adora. Embarrassing? Yes. Definitely. The blonde sucked in air through her teeth as she tried to hide her exhaustion. She was close to her limit trying to even catch up to Catra. She felt frustration well up inside as she studied the other girl— who barely even broke a sweat. How good was her damn stamina?

Catra was wearing slides too. Slides, for fuck’s sake. How she hasn’t tripped over them by now was a big fat miracle. Not to mention how she was still moving so fast with jeans on. Were they not constricting? At all?

It was Adora’s turn to score at this point. She couldn’t let Catra win. She needed to turn the game around, but how? She dribbled as she tried to look for an opening. Well, that wasn’t hard. Catra was taking nowhere near a defensive position. Though that wasn’t to be taken lightly. She may look unprepared, but she could see through anything. It fucking sucked.

Catra stood there, posture slightly hunched, but not enough to be well grounded. Any sudden movement would send her toppling, but she knew enough how to handle it. She stood oddly still as she waited for Adora to make a move. Her eyes darted to Adora’s slightly shifted foot. Grinning to herself, she already predicted Adora’s next steps.

Adora licked her lips in anticipation as she hesitated towards the left, then crossing over the ball as she saw Catra look the other way. It was a ruse all along. Congratulating herself inside for a moment, she thought she got through Catra when she realized the menace swiped the ball out of her hands mid dribble. Spinning the ball on one finger, Catra waited for Adora to notice her. “Almost got me there,” she chuckled. It was a lie, but she knew it’d tick off Adora. She was right; it worked.

Catra dribbled the ball behind her back— back and forth between her legs as she stepped back to clear the ball. _“Well, it was fun while it lasted,”_ she sighed. She couldn’t blame Adora for getting stomped. Nobody expects her play style the first time around. It’s not dirty, it just gives her a slight upper hand. She trailed her eyes along the sight ahead of her.

She never makes a game plan, nor follows one. She plays as she sees fit; winging it as one may say. It creates room for improvisation and free-spirited type of play. It allows her to challenge herself mentally. Every step is a reaction to the person either in front of her or even people around her. Catra pays attention to everything and anything.

Taking a deep sigh, Catra found a way to showcase a sliver of her ability. She quickened the tempo and dribbled the ball hard, driving towards Adora’s left with a spin move. When Adora takes a hard step to block her path, Catra quickly snatched the ball back, dribbling it once more behind her back and reversing her spin. She finishes the drive off on the right, cutting through Adora’s defense.

In order to catch up, Adora tried to turn her body, but it was too late. She had already shifted most of her body weight to the left, so the sudden change in direction caused her to misstep and lose her balance. Adora falls, and falls _hard._

The freshman from before gasps at the play. A different upperclassman jabs her on the arm. “That’s why her nickname’s Wildcat. Her play style is like what you see during a game of street ball. Anything goes, and everything is wild.”

Hearing a thud behind her let Catra know she was wide open. Grabbing the ball with two hands as she approached the rim, she goes for a simple two-hand jack slam dunk. As she landed on the floor, she turned around to see Adora groan in frustration. Walking up to her, Catra extended a helping hand. “Good game,” she smiled.

Adora forced a chuckle out as she took the hand. “If you call four to ten a good game, sure.”

”Most people don’t score at all against me. Take the compliment.”

”Yeah, yeah.”

The entire gym was left in awe. Some already knew about Catra, but seeing her in person was a completely different experience. Coach Hawke cleared his throat as the two girls regroup. “Well... I guess that settles it,” his voice seemed a little reluctant, if not disappointed. “Welcome to the team, Catra.”

”Oh, please,” Catra scoffed. “You’re lucky to have me. Enjoy the wins I’ll get you guys this year.”

”I’m sure we will earn them as a team.”

“I’ll let you all ride on my coattails since I’m so nice.”

”Can you tone it down? You’re so full of yourself,” Adora was slowly getting annoyed. Yes, she was good, but all the bragging and gloating started being irritating. “Just get over it.”

”Seems like you’re a little jealous, Captain.”

”I’m not. I’m just telling you to show some humility for once. It wouldn’t hurt.”

”Are you mad I broke your ankles?” Catra jabbed Adora’s chest with a finger. That hurt a little.

”No, that’s-“

”Alright, that’s enough, girls,” Coach Hawke got in between them. Things were getting heated. “Practice is every Monday and Friday. Don’t be late to any of them.” It was a warning. He knew of Catra’s notorious track record.

As much as having her on the team would boost their win rate, her attitude and past can prove to be not worth it. It was a trade off basically. He wanted to enforce teamwork and sportsmanship within his team— and Catra was a terrible example.

This was going to be a troublesome year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’re liking the fic, please leave a kudo or comment! I look forward to hearing your thoughts! Thank you all so so so much for the comments and kudos so far.


	3. High Stakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra’s a problem, yet she’s the one who’s been picking up the slack in the team. Adora doesn’t know what to do with the short debonair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t ask why this chapter is almost as long as chapter 1 and 2 combined; I don’t know either.

“Pass the damn ball!” Catra sneered, waving her arms high in the air to get her teammates attention. “Are you fucking blind or what?”

The girl whipped her head towards the direction of the voice, instantly throwing over the ball. She hadn’t seen that Catra was wide open. It was almost her fault for giving up a play, but Catra didn’t need to be so damn rude about it.

As soon as Catra caught the incoming pass, she took a step back and shot a three-pointer. The ball left her hands as someone tried to block her. It was close. Too close for her own liking. She walked away before it even landed inside the net, towards the teammate she just yelled at. “Open your damn eyes!” Catra pointed to one of her own. “You need to pay attention to your surroundings more.”

”Sorry, I just didn’t see. You don’t need to be so anal about it.”

“Just look around next time. You had enough space to make a few plays. Don’t worry about the person in front of you when they’re that far away.”

”...Right,” the other girl sighed. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Catra was right. She needed to work on court vision. “Next time.”

”Good,” Catra slapped her on the back. “Don’t forget.”

This was just a scrimmage, but Catra was acting like it was the nationals or something. Her attitude did a complete one-eighty, surprising everyone including Coach Hawke. She was acting more of a captain than Adora.

”Don't worry about her,” Adora jogged up to the girl. “She just talks like that.” The last thing Adora wanted was for Catra to piss her own teammates off and cause morale to drop or even their drive to go down.

”No, no,” she shook her head. “I needed the wake up call.”

”Oh...” Adora watched as she walked away. That was weird.

Coach Hawke was reluctant in putting Adora and Catra on the same team on the basis of their rivalry, but he needed for them to work on their teamwork. The more they play together, they better they’d get at communication and synergy. As much as they preferred not to work with each other, they were forced to. It was going well so far.

As Adora contested the person in front of her, she was sure they wouldn’t get through. Hands up in the air, she pressured the offense. Her eyes snapped to the ball, and the open person it was going towards. Why the hell wasn't anyone marking them? Adora opened her mouth to shout a warning to a nearby teammate to cover, but it was too late.

Catra already ran past the court in record speed, ready to stop the incoming shot attempt. Usually it was a bad thing to leave her mark open, but they were far enough away that it didn’t matter. As the girl raised her elbows to shoot, Catra was suddenly in her face, high in the air to block. The ball was swatted away, landing out of bounds. _“How the hell did she get there so fast?!”_

Coach Hawke nodded in affirmation. “Good work, Catra! Keep it up!”

Adora grumbled in response. That wasn’t anything special. She could’ve done the same thing in her shoes. The play resumed after the other team cleared the ball. The shot clock was ticking down quickly, so they opt’d to get the ball out of their hands with a reckless shot. It of course missed, Adora grabbing the rebound. She looked around for an open teammate, eyes landing on Catra. Why the fuck was she always unguarded?

Catra winked as they met eyes. Adora clicked her tongue, instead deciding to keep the ball to herself. She dribbled it across the court, much to Catra’s annoyance. As she prepared to break through the defense, she took a step back when another person steps in to double team her. “Are you kidding me?”

”Sorry, don’t wanna give away free points.”

Adora quickly passed the ball away, it ending up in Catra’s hands once more. With swift movement, she easily crosses her defender and earns two points. Jogging back, Catra approaches Adora with a frown. “Nice pass, captain.” She clearly was upset about earlier.

”No problem,” Adora returned with a smug grin. “Wasn’t sure if you’d catch it.”

”Pft. Only a blind person would miss that slow of a pass.”

”Get back in position, girls!” Coach Hawke shouted.

Bow chuckled. He was sitting on the bench with Glimmer. “Yeah, stop flirting!”

Catra turned to Adora. “What the fuck are they doing there?”

”They’re part of the cheer squad.”

”That doesn’t explain why they’re at our practice. This ain’t even a game.”

”They just wanna watch, I don’t see a problem.”

”Then tell them to stop being so fucking distracting,” Catra raised her voice loud enough for the spectators to hear.

”I heard that!” Bow called out.

”That’s the damn point!”

The scrimmage ends in an uneven 32-12. A few girls groan in frustration. What did Coach Hawke expect anyway by putting Catra and Adora on the same team? Afterwards, some go straight home and others take a quick shower first. Catra stays though to get more practice in. She didn’t like what she saw today and went to blow off some steam. Adora also stayed behind, but to talk to Bow and Glimmer. She joined them on the bench, watching Catra rehearse some dribble moves and whatnot.

”She’s good,” Bow mumbles.

”I know,” Adora responded, though it was clear not too happily.

”Like, really good.”

”I know,” Adora repeated again.

”She might replace you-“

”What? No way!”

”No, Adora’s right. She’s not fit to lead the team. You saw her yell at all those people, right?” Glimmer joined in. “I don’t think she’s captain material. Maybe she’ll be the star player, but that’s all unless she somehow fixes that attitude.”

Adora turned back to Catra practicing her movements. It was alluring for some reason, the way she ‘danced’ on the basketball court. Each transition was smooth and deft, like she had perfected her skills long ago. “I guess so.”

A girl emerges from the corner of the gym and approached Catra. Their conversation was faint, yet still audible to the three. They couldn’t help but eavesdrop on them.

”Catra?” the girl shyly called out, arms behind her back.

”Hm?” Catra stopped dribbling for a moment to face the stranger. “What?”

”Everyone else is done... but you’re still here. Can you help me with my ball game?”

Catra unexpected brightly smiled in response. Her face lit up, as if she were excited to help. “Of course!” Usually she was stoic, but every now and then that smile... that cute ass smile would pop up, causing Adora’s heart to skip a beat. “What do you wanna do?”

”My defense isn’t that great. People always seem to get past me easily.”

”Sure,” Catra took a few steps back. “Show me what you got first.”

The girl obliged, settling into an awkward defensive stance. Instantly, Catra chuckled. “What? What’s wrong?” the girl felt a little embarrassed.

”You need to square your hips. You’re standing too straight; your feet are also too close together. You can trip easily with that,” Catra walked towards the girl, adjusting her posture. “There.”

”Oh, this feels a little easily to react with,” the girl grinned. “Thanks!”

”You wanna try defending me?”

”Uh... I don’t think I can.”

”I’ll go easy. Just so you can practice.”

Bow snorted. “Watch her break that poor girl’s ankles.”

”You promise?” she timidly asked.

”Yeah, yeah,” Catra scoffed, returning to her previous position. “Don’t worry.” She then started dribbling the ball between her legs, much, much slower than before. “You ready?”

The girl followed Catra’s instructions, steadying herself. “I think so.”

Catra then crossed over to a side; a simple drive. It was definitely not as fast as she’s done before, yet more adept than a regular drive. The girl huffed as she tried to block Catra’s path. She gives a tooth grin as she successfully bumps Catra. “I did it!” she celebrated.

Catra returns the smile, patting the girl on the shoulder. “Yeah, nice job. Is that all?”

”For now. I gotta go home now. Thanks a lot, Catra.”

”No problem. I’m glad you want to improve. Remember what I told you now, alright?”

Glimmer looked at Adora with a tight-lipped smile. “Oookay, I take back my previous comment. She might be captain material after all.”

”Thanks for making me feel better, Glimmer. What a friend you are,” Adora pouted.

”I’m just speaking the truth. I swear she heard me or something. Even I was surprised at that shift in personality.”

“Hey,” Bow placed his hand on Adora’s shoulder to comfort her. “You worked hard to get the title. I’m sure you deserve it, and Coach Hawke knows it too. He probably won’t give it away anyway— I don’t think he likes her.”

Her nods his head towards the court once more, prompting everyone to take a look. Catra was done practicing, and was headed towards the locker room. She made one last stop though. She threw a peace sign towards Coach Hawke on her way out, causing him to frown and shake his head. “See?”

”I hope you’re right, Bow,” Adora grimaced. “I’m gonna head out too— got some homework I need to catch up on. I’ll see you guys later.” She got up from the bleachers. Waving them goodbye, she followed Catra into the locker room, lagging slightly behind. _“I really hope you’re right.”_

As Adora entered, she noticed that Catra already slipped out of her clothes and was taking a shower. She probably wanted to hurry home.

Adora debated whether or not she would also wash up. The locker room was empty except for them, and she wasn’t too keen on an awkward shared shower moment with Catra. Then again, she was all sweaty and dirty from today’s scrimmage. _“Lord, please tell me what I should do.”_

Reluctantly making up her mind, she sighed, stripping herself and hopping in one of the stalls. It wasn’t long before Catra’s voice popped out from beside her. “Were you waiting for me?” she smugly grinned, leaning close to Adora. “Or until we were all alone?”

Okay, this was what Adora was worried about. Something like this happening. What did she ever do to deserve this to happen? Avoiding eye contact, Adora continued to wash her body. “No, I wasn’t. I was just talking to Bow and Glimmer, okay?” It was getting hard to keep her cool.

“Right, right,” Catra giggled. “It was all just a coincidence.”

”Yeah, it is.”

”You wanna explain what you did back during practice?” Catra cut in. This time her playful tone vanished. “You know what I’m talking about.”

And yes, Adora did know. “I didn’t see you were open,” she lied. “Only until after I got double teamed.”

”I literally saw you fucking look me in the eyes. Why the hell are you lying?” Catra took a step closer. Adora was holding on for dear life inside her mind to not look. Don’t look. Don’t look. Don’t look. Please. Adora, please don’t look.

Fuck, she looked. Adora prayed the water masked her flushed face as she turned away as fast as she could.

”Fine, I saw you. Happy now?”

”Hell no. Are you gonna tell me why you ignored me? I was wide ass open!”

”I wanted to give someone another chance to score. You’ve been hogging the ball all game, what else do you want me to do?”

”Are you kidding me? That doesn’t matter as long as I can score. You’re just giving up free points at that point. Listen, if you have a problem with me, say it.”

”I don’t!”

Catra huffed, letting out a long sigh. “Okay, fine. If you hate me scoring that much, then I can just be an assist-bot after we get ahead. I can’t believe how needy you are.”

She didn’t get it. This was never a problem at Horde High. Shit, people were glad Catra was scoring for them. It meant they didn’t have to worry about messing up or wracking their minds over a play that might not work. I mean, it took a while for her teammates to realize giving the ball to Catra meant easy points, but they weren’t so adamant about having _everyone_ contribute.

Actually, yeah. What was the issue with that? Coach Hawke emphasized team collaboration, but at Horde High, it was something along the lines of ‘do anything that works’. Well, they had a play book and everything, but everyone mostly disregarded it.

Adora was really getting guilt-tripped now. She finally turned around to face Catra. “No, it’s fine. I’m just not used to having one main scorer for the entire team. Actually, wait, how the hell were you always open?”

“You wanna hear the truth?”

”Of course. Just tell me.” Maybe Catra had a special trick up her sleeve Adora could use for later matches.

”Your team sucks ass.”

”Oh,” Adora blinked. Did she really just say that? Or was Adora going deaf? “Wait, what?”

”You heard me. Your team sucks ass. Half of them have the attention span of a damn puppy. They left me open so often because they got distracted with God knows what. I just slipped past whenever I got the chance to.”

“Come on, everyone’s not that bad.”

”Please, why do you think you guys never won a championship? Or that your win rate is literally in the negatives? It’s not just Horde High fucking you all up. I hate to say it, but you’re the only good part of this God forsaken team,” Catra gestured her hand over Adora, looking her up and down. “And you’re not much,” she added, much to Adora’s disappointment.

As much as Catra carried the team back at Horde High, every single person still held their weight. Catra could trust them to do their job, but felt a little more hesitant with her new teammates at Bright Moon Academy. She could feel it in her gut that she needed to keep a closer eye on everyone in case something happened. Like she knew her old teammates will do just great without her; most are already amazing players... but this school on the other hand...

She didn’t know where to start. The team follows fundamentals way too strictly. It’s a good stepping stone, but individuality in the game brings out the best in you. Horde High supported that ideal. Catra’s old play style was highly illegal in the game, but her previous coach helped her develop a better one. One she could actually show off. He didn’t tell Catra to drop it, but instead cultivate it. To improve upon it so it wasn’t so, well, illegal to use. He showed her new tricks and tips to remember on the court; different ways to approach offense and defense— while keeping her style.

Coach Hawke was a great coach and all by being enthusiastic, supportive, and whatever, but the girls were hard to watch. Most held a rigid and stiff way of doing everything. Half the jump shots she saw were the same motion. The passing was stiff. Everything seemed basic. Too basic.

Court vision was terrible. People looking at the wrong things at the wrong time was common. Catra could swear she saw a few people daydreaming in the middle of the scrimmage. Keep in mind that this was the varsity team. She shuddered at the thought of the junior varsity. It agitated Catra that she, Catra fucking Weaver was taking the sport more seriously than half the team. If Bright Moon wanted to be even a fraction as good as other school’s, it was going to be a long and hard journey that many probably don’t have the motivations to work through.

Adora opened her mouth to reply, but quickly shut it to think about Catra’s words. “I...”

”I never really thought about it until I saw everyone today. You know, that’s probably why Bright Moon wanted me to transfer here so bad. You guys got nothing going on for the damn athletics department.”

”That’s enough,” Adora cut her off, grabbing one of her arms. She wasn’t too prideful of her school, but she wasn’t just gonna let someone badmouth it freely. “I get your point.” Adora’s eyes widened when she realized she was touching Catra. She quickly retracted her hand. “Sorry.”

”So before you get your panties in a bunch,” Catra waved her off. “Keep in mind that you guys need me. I’ll catch you tomorrow then.” She walked away.

Adora sighed into a hand. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Catra was probably right. Adora wasn’t a pro player, yet she easily snatched the captain’s title. No, she shouldn’t sell herself short. She’s dominated games before, so why did Catra’s words give her such an uneasy feeling? That maybe she was right; the team was struggling.

No, Catra was just getting inside her head at this point. Ever since she transferred here, she made it abundantly clear Bright Moon was on her shit list. Adora had to show her that it wasn’t so bad here after all.

Shaking off the intrusive thoughts, Adora reached for her towel. She gasped when her hand grasped at air. _“No, she didn’t... That little...!”_ Adora grumbled to herself as she raced across the locker room to find Catra. She was glad it was empty, considering she was butt naked.

”Catra!” she shouted, voice echoing throughout the space. “I swear to God...!”

Panting to catch her breath, she had to hold herself back physically from fighting Catra. How many times was she gonna make her chase after her? It was honestly getting old. “Catra, why the fuck did you take my damn towel?!” she stomped over to the unsuspecting girl.

”What?” Catra turned around. She wasn’t finished changing— her own towel still wrapped around her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Adora almost believed her until she spotted a familiar looking towel poking out from behind Catra. “Give it back! Why would you even think this would be funny?”

”I didn’t. I think it’s hilarious.”

”Are you kidding me?” Adora lunged after her towel, only for Catra to nimbly dodge out the way. “Catra!”

”Yes?” the shorter girl teased. “What’s wrong?”

This time, Adora didn’t answer, and instead tried to grab it again. She unfortunately (luckily some might say) got ahold of Catra’s towel, pulling it down. She felt her stomach drop alongside the towel. “Oh my God,” she stammered out. “I-I didn’t mean to—“

”I’m sure you didn’t,” Catra didn’t stop smiling. “Just take it,” she handed over the stolen towel.

However, just as Adora reached out to take her belonging, Catra snatched it back, lifting it high in the air. “If you can,” she smirked.

Taking the bait, Adora blocked Catra’s path with one arm and leaned in once more, finally successfully retrieving her prized towel. “I hate you,” she scoffed.

”Get your tits out of my face,” Catra said from under her.

Adora instantly looked down. Oh no. Her entire body froze up— stiffening up to what was reminiscent of a statue. The only thing she could move were her eyes, which shakily trailed Catra’s face. They were close. Too close. “Hello?” Catra repeated. “Did you hear me?”

All Adora could look at or focus on was the face of who was in front of her. Catra. The drop-dead gorgeous menace. She looked even better up close, and naked— oh no. These thoughts were not good.

Dirty, dirty Adora. What the hell are you fantasizing about? She chastised herself inside, forgetting what she was doing at the moment. Her eyes landed on Catra’s lips, which were very enticing. Would Catra be mad if she made a move? Actually, she’d probably be furious. Catra seemed to be talking, but Adora couldn’t hear anything but the pounding of her own heart.

”Adora, is that you?” Glimmer’s voice snapped her out of la-la land. Her friend rounded the corner of the row of lockers. “You forgo...” she put a hand over her mouth as she realized she walked into something very... just something. And she didn’t want to know what the hell it was. “Nevermind, carry on.”

As much as she wanted to ask why both of them were naked and why Adora was holding Catra up against a locker, she figured it was best to question them later. When this wasn’t happening. Glimmer left as quickly as she came, leaving the two girls alone to continue their moment. Adora took the opening to run away. Far, far away.

Catra sighed, picking up the shirt she had dropped on the floor. “Fuckin’ weirdo,” she muttered.

The next day, Adora found it hard to avoid Catra, considering they had all of their classes together. It was like Catra somehow knew, and tormented her throughout the day. She tried to skip classes on multiple occasions, a problem Adora had to solve ASAP. The second the girl wandered off, Adora had to swoop in and stop her before she got to chance to fully leave.

Catra feigned having to go to the bathroom, but Adora caught wind of it when at least ten minutes had passed. Listen, people need to go, she understood, but that was way too long of a time to be gone. A quick look around campus usually resolved the problem.

She found temporary relief when Catra left to go buy her lunch. “Thank God, I don’t think I could’ve lasted another minute with her,” Adora didn’t realize the words slipped out of her mouth.

”Really? Cause it seemed like you two were having the fucking time of your lives yesterday,” Glimmer popped in. She turned to Bow for a second. “They were fucking in the locker room after practice, dude.”

”We were not!”

”I remember clear as day what I saw! Bow, Adora was all pressed up against Catra on a locker like ‘oh, Catra! Harder!’ when I went to give her back her hair tie. Did I mention they were both naked?”

”Adora! You’ve known her for less than a week! What the hell is wrong with you? You work fast, woman.”

”Right? I almost pissed myself when I walked into whatever the hell was going on yesterday.”

”Nooo!” Adora shouted, waving her hands wildly. “We weren’t fucking! We were just naked!”

The whole class now had eyes on her. Half were visibly confused, wondering what the fuck they just heard. “Turn around! Mind your own business!” Bow shooed prying eyes away.

Of course Glimmer just had to walk into the locker room at that exact moment. Comedic timing almost ruined Adora’s life. Any time would’ve been better, but no, that was too much to ask for.

”I can’t stand you guys!” Adora groaned into her hands, trying to hide from everyone. “Why would you tell the whole damn class that?”

”Woah, woah, woah!” Glimmer put her hands up defensively. “You were one hootin’ and hollerin’ about you and Catra being naked together, not me! Don’t pin this all on me now.”

”How did that even happen?” Bow pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re telling me you guys were just chillin’ in the locker room naked? Not to mention Glimmer saying you were pushing her up against a locker. You wanna explain that to me now or what?”

”It wasn’t like that!”

”Then what happened?”

Adora groaned, tilting her head back. “She stole my towel and I went to get it back.”

”So you took hers instead? Ma’am, no one told you to do that. Are you sure you didn’t just want to see her naked?”

”Nooooo!” Adora felt herself lose her mind trying to explain herself. “I tried to grab my towel, and I guess I took hers off on accident. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

Scrunching his face up, Bow furrowed his brows. “Yeah, that sounds like a big fat lie to me.”

”I’m not lying! That’s really what happened!”

When Catra finally returned from her trip outside, she was greeted with the sight of a good portion of her classmates being visibly confused, snickering, or just outright staring at her. “What?” she called out, causing most to turn right back around to avoid confrontation. She quirked her mouth to one side as she walked over to her and Adora’s table. “Were you talking about me again? What the hell is it this time?”

”We weren’t!” Glimmer spat out instantly. She replied a little too fast. “Nope. Definitely not about you.”

”Jesus, you need to sign up for the drama class here. A baby can lie better than you,” Catra readjusted her jacket, which was very much breaking dress code. It was the Horde High basket ball team’s varsity jacket. “Here, take this.”

Reaching inside the convenience store bag, she pulled out a sandwich wrapped in plastic. She tossed it over to Adora, who jumped a little in her seat at the sudden object flying at her. It landed smack on her face, dropping on the desk afterwards. “Huh? I didn’t ask...”

”Hey, where’s my food?” Bow pouted, crossing his arms.

”You didn’t ask,” Catra rolled her eyes. “Am I supposed to read your mind?”

”Wait, so you can read Adora’s? What kind of bullshit...”

”No, but I heard her stomach growl for two hours straight. What else would that mean? I’m not stupid, you know?”

”Damnit, I thought I kept it under cover,” Adora clicked her tongue.

”Okay, no, I sit across the fucking classroom and even I heard it,” Glimmer let a chuckle out. “So what? You care about Adora now?”

”Of course,” Catra said through the chewing of food in her mouth. Adora’s heart fluttered for a moment, but quickly got shut down. “Can’t have the captain not be in tiptop shape.”

”Riiight,” Glimmer drawled, trying to hint at something else.

Catra almost choked on her food when she bursted laughing. “You think I’m into Adora? Please.”

”Hey, what’s so bad about me?”

”Maybe when you beat me in a one on one. Honestly speaking, you’re my type, but you gotta prove yourself to me.”

”Wait, I’m your type?” Adora smiled slightly. For some reason, that type of compliment from Catra made her feel better about herself. “Really?”

”Sure, sure,” Catra nodded along, mind wandering for a second. “Blonde, tall, athletic...” she trailed off, not noticing that she was exposing herself. “Oh.”

Adora grinned like an idiot. “Glad to know you’re into me.”

”Ugh,” Catra pushed her away playfully. “Get over yourself. You may be cute, but your ball game makes it hard to like you.” The words unfortunately slipped out of her mouth, but what’s done is done. No use worrying about it. The best she can do is play it off.

”So if I somehow get better at basketball, you’ll be head over heels for me?” Adora couldn’t help but feel giddy.

”Please, desperate is not a good look for you. You want me so bad.”

”Yeah,” Glimmer snorted. “Are you trying to flirt? Because it’s not working.”

”Hey! I’m not, I-“

Their next class’s teacher walked in, getting the attention of some of the students in the class. He made a bee-line towards Catra, face in a deep frown. “Catra,” he called out.

”Micah.”

”What did I say about you calling teachers by their first name?”

”I dunno, you tell me,” Catra shrugged.

Micah eyed Catra, his frown deepening when he sees her outfit. “When I saw you leaving campus, I was hoping you were heading home to change. Haven’t your other teachers told you to wear the uniform to school?” He couldn’t believe Catra had the gall to wear their rival’s colors to school. Then again, it was Catra Weaver. What did he expect?

”Yeah, but I don’t really like the whole ‘uniform’ thing. It doesn’t even look good.”

Sighing, Micah took a look at the outside food on her desk. “So that’s what you left campus for? You do realize that’s breaking at least three rules.”

”I found the bag lying around,” Catra confidently shrugged. “You didn’t see me buy this shit, so you got no proof. Someone else could’ve given it to me for all you know.”

”I saw you leave campus!”

”Maybe I was going to the restroom across the street.”

”There are restrooms on campus. At least find a better excuse.”

“You’ll never know.”

Micah sighed harshly, putting a hand under his nose. “Okay, just... Come to school tomorrow with your uniform. I won’t penalize you this time because it’s the first week. However, I will write you up for leaving campus. I don’t care what the reason was, the point is that you left, period. Got it?”

”Yeah, yeah,” Catra finished up her food. “Just let me eat in peace now. We can talk when class starts.”

“Kids these days...” he grumbled, walking away. “I don’t understand ‘em.”

”Ooh,” Bow mocked playfully. “You got caught on the first week here. That’s a record.”

”I don’t care,” Catra rolled her eyes, propping her legs on the table. “I know they can’t expel me anyway unless I probably blow something up.”

”Wow, you are so confident in yourself.”

”Watch,” Catra took out a hair tie that was around her wrist, pulling it into a sling shot. She aimed for Micah, who was turned around, writing something on the white board.

”No, God, please,” Adora tried to stop her, but it was too late. The hair tie was already in the air. It snapped to the back of Micah’s head, causing him to flinch. He wildly turned around to see who the hell did that. Catra ducked under the table, out of sight.

Micah’s eyes landed on Adora; the direction the hair tie only could’ve come from. Strangely, he wasn’t mad or angry. He seemed... sad. Disappointingly shaking his head, he sighed. “I can’t believe you would do that to me, Adora.”

”T-that—“

”Listen, if it was a mistake, then own up to it. I didn’t expect this from you.” He turned back around.

”What the hell, Catra?!” Adora yanked Catra up from under the desk by the collar of her jacket. She was snickering, adding in to Adora’s frustration. “Why the fuck would you do that?!”

“Wasn't me. He got mad at you, right?”

Adora’s face turned red; this time not from embarrassment. “No! Because you decided to hide and put the blame on me! Now he hates me!”

”You can live with that.”

This hate/love relationship Catra was giving to Adora was beyond infuriating. It was like she was being nice to make up for all the times she was messing with Adora. Like an apology act.

The bell then rung, signaling that class was now in session. Micah grabbed the marker sitting on his desk, now writing on the whiteboard once more. “Yesterday, we brought up this equation just before class was dismissed, but we didn’t get to solve it. I assigned it as optional homework— did anybody attempt to solve this?” he looked around, but it was like every single one of his students was avoiding eye contact.

Some pretended to be busy and was looking for something in their bags, some outright just looking away. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. “It’s fine if you didn’t do it. It was optional after all. Then, is anyone willing to solve it with me?” he asked hopefully. No dice.

Micah tried to continue the lesson, but was definitely distracted by a sleeping Catra. What the hell, he _just_ talked to her. How in the world was she already asleep? And why?

She was leaning back on her chair, somehow balancing on its back legs, her own propped up on the desk she was sharing with Adora. The sight was just short of a miracle. “Catra!” he narrowed his eyes. “What do you think you’re doing?”

One of her eyes popped open, then closed once more. “Fuck does it look like?” she grumbled.

Teachers at Horde High gave up trying to reprimand Catra or even pay attention to her, but that took months of effort. They learned, but only the hard way. It was a slight annoyance that Catra wasted time trying to set a tone back at her old school just to be sent off to another.

Strangely, the schedules of both schools were very similar to each other— the only difference being that Horde High had students going around from class to class. That meant each class you had might result in different classmates. Bright Moon Academy instead had teachers rotate around; so students all stay together for one entire year. One class, everyone is the same.

So Catra had to deal with Adora for about seven hours straight... and vice versa.

”Can you stop swearing? This is an academic setting, for God’s sakes. I let it slide the first few times, but this is really getting out of hand now.”

”Sorry, just part of my vocabulary.”

”...Since you’re paying attention,” he enunciated. “How about you work through this problem with me?”

”What problem?”

”The one on the board,” he pointed, trying his best to not lose patience.

Catra didn’t move, nor open her eyes. “Eh, ask someone who’s willing.”

”I’m sure you’ll do great. Come on, it’s the same equation from yesterday. You can do it.”

Sighing, she crossed one leg over the other, still leaning back on her chair. “Uh...” she rambled on for a moment, saying nonsense as she tried to think. “It’s... pi to the fourth power divided by sin thirty degrees.”

Micah blinked. “Are you going to tell us how you got that answer?” She was dead on. Like, exactly right. She really pulled that out by doing mental math? No way. “Step by step please.”

”Factor the equation, then convert the numerator after simplifying it. You can combine like terms.”

What in the Mary Sue...? How the fuck was she uber athletic and smart at the same time? Pick one! “Okay...” Micah furrowed his brows. Slightly annoying, but she did give what he asked for. “Good work, Catra.”

She didn’t reply, instead going back to her nap. It was the last class of the day. The least she could do was hold on for just another hour before going home. Micah decided to leave her alone for the rest of class. It wasn’t worth dealing with her antics. When it was finally time to leave, Catra’s eyes instantly shot open. She shoved her supplies into her bag like a fiend and slung her backpack over one shoulder, ready to go. She jumped a little when Adora stopped her with a hand.

”What is it now?” she groaned. “You seem to like touching me.”

Adora retracted her hand like she touched a scalding pot. “Sorry. I figured you’d just ignore me if I only called your name.”

”So? What do you want?”

”Wanna walk home together? We go the same way.”

Catra debated the question for a moment before scoffing. “Sure, but I’m dropping by a place first. I’m kinda hungry.”

“That’s okay, I can wait.”

”Jesus, you want to be with me so bad,” Catra lifted a brow, unable to hide her growing grin.

”No, I...” Adora was a bit flustered. She scrambled to explain herself, but nothing came out but a few fragments of jumbled words. “I just-“

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Catra grabbed Adora’s hand, leading her out the classroom. “Don’t worry about it.”

It wasn’t until when they left the campus Adora got the courage to speak. She was afraid she’d say some dumb shit again and embarrass herself once more in front of Catra. “So... where are we going?”

”Mm,” Catra was staring at her phone screen, seemingly invested in whatever was on it. She didn’t notice that she was still holding Adora’s hand; the blonde lowkey celebrating that. “Just a diner I always visit.”

”Are you gonna tell me which one? There’s a bunch around here.”

Catra was still not paying attention. If they were crossing a street, she’d probably not notice a car speeding right towards her. “Uh, the Crimson Waste.”

”What?” Adora blinked. “I’ve never heard of it.”

”Of course you preps don’t know. It’s on Horde High’s side of the neighborhood. You guys are missing out.”

They stepped over a pot hole as they crossed the street. It was then that Adora noticed they were going towards Horde High. “Oh,” she looked around nervously, the rival students growing more and more as they pass through. She hoped Catra’s jacket would be some sort of a shield for her. As they approach the parking lot beside the school, Catra finally peeled her eyes off her phone when a voice called out to her.

”Hey, Wildcat!” a tall, platinum haired girl called out. She was sitting on top of a car, surrounded by four other kids. “You dropping by the diner?”

Well, three that were looking at them. The fourth was half inside the car, face first doing God knows what.

”Hey, Scorpia. Yeah, I was craving something from there.” Catra broke off from the sidewalk and strolled over to the group. “How you doing?”

”I should be asking you that,” the girl returned. “How’s Bright Moon treating you?”

”Like shit.” To be honest, it felt surreal attending a whole new different school after spending a majority of your high school years at another. Catra knew only a handful of people— due to Adora, yet she still felt alone in the crowds. Like she didn’t belong there.

Then again, it was expected. She had a different upbringing and perspective on life than the students there. Her personality not to mention, was also wildly different. Everyone was straight-edge; Catra was a damn maverick compared to them. It was not comforting knowing that she’s the only one causing such a disturbance in the school.

As much as she enjoyed being the star player off the bat on the basketball team, already scoring a spot on the varsity, she had a feeling that team chemistry was going to be hard to build up. She didn’t particularly like her teammates, and they most likely returned the same sentiments. If she wanted to win games or even stay on the team, she’d had to try hard. Being on thin ice with Coach Hawke was a gift and a curse.

They both know having Catra on the team would be very beneficial, but it might prove to be more of a bane than a boon. Only time will tell at this point. 

”I thought so. Everyone misses you already,” Scorpia patted Lonnie on the back, who grumbled in response. “Lonnie won’t stop talking about you.”

”Shut up!”

”Damn, did you already get a girlfriend?” Rogelio nodded his head towards Catra’s hand, which was still holding Adora’s.

Catra quickly let go, causing Adora to already miss the loss of contact. “No, she’s just the captain of the basketball team.” She cringed inside as she realized she had been holding Adora’s hand since they had left the classroom. They weren’t even friends yet. Wait, yet?

Stifling a laugh, Rogelio put a hand to his mouth. “That doesn’t really explain anything, but okay.”

”Captain?” the person who was in the car now slid out. “Heya, Adora!” She looked really short next to Rogelio.

”Entrapta? You know these people?”

“Yes! They’re my new friends,” she patted Scorpia’s dangling leg. “They showed me around the school and everything.”

”Oh, I see,” Adora smiled. “Glad to know you’re getting along fine with the school. Can’t say the same for Catra...”

”What are you talking about? Everybody loves me,” Catra crossed her arms. “Including you.”

”Hey!” Adora spat out a little too fast.

”Anyway, I’ll see you guys tonight?”

”Bet on it,” Scorpia chuckled.

”Catch you later then,” Catra waved, continuing her trek to the diner. “Let’s go, blondie.”

”Uh... It was nice meeting you! Bye?” Adora almost tripped over her own shoes trying to catch up to Catra, who was already down the street. “Can you wait for me? Sheesh.” She jogged over.

”Not my fault you’re slow as hell.”

”I’m not! You’re just unnaturally fast. Didn’t any of your friends tell you that?”

Pondering for a brief moment, Catra then shook her head. “Nah. Well, probably.”

”That definitely did not answer the question, but I’ll let it slide.”

”Look, we’re here,” Catra snapped her finger.

”What? No wonder why you like this place. It’s literally two minutes from Horde High.”

”Well, that and the good ass food.”

”Really?”

”Yeah, come on,” Catra walked through the doors, but didn’t hold it open for Adora. They almost whacked her in the face as she tried to enter after Catra.

Catra went straight for the cashier, probably for take out. Guess they weren’t dining in. In a diner. “Hey, Octavia,” Catra leaned against the counter.

”Hey. You want the usual?” the cashier was already ringing up the order. Asking was just a formality it seemed.

Catra glanced back at Adora for a second. “Yeah, but make it two,” she put up two fingers.

”You got it. I’ll have it out in a few minutes.”

”Thanks,” Catra waved, settling in a booth nearby. Adora followed, confused.

“Wow, you eat a lot,” she awkwardly quipped. “Two servings?”

Scoffing, Catra kicked her legs up on the table. “Are you dumb? One of them’s for you.” Was Adora daft or what?

”Oh, how much does it cost? I can pay...” Adora reached inside her backpack for her wallet, but stopped when Catra waved her off.

”Don’t worry about it, my dear Captain. It’s my treat.”

”Are you sure...?”

”It’s cool, I don’t really spend money anyway. I can splurge a little when I want. It’s really no problem.” 

Adora pursed her lips. Oh no. This meant Catra was planning something. She had a feeling; every time Catra was nice to her, something bad was or did happen. Like a balance. Equivalent exchange. “No, really, it’s okay.”

”Adora, just take the damn food. It’s not like I’m buying you a new car. If it makes you feel better, I do this all the time with my friends.”

Okay, that made her feel anything but special. So Catra wasn’t buying her food because she liked Adora— it was just a thing she does. Great. “Fine. Thanks.”

”Trust me, what I ordered you is hella good. Tell me what you think when you get home, yeah?” Catra paused. “Oh, I don’t have your number.”

Smooth.

”Uh,” Adora pulled her phone out, almost dropping it in surprise. Was this really happening? Oh God, it was. “I...”

Catra snatched it out of her hands, already texting her own number. “There you go,” she handed it back, seemingly proud of what she did.

Adora glanced down, and felt her heart drop when she read the text message.

->Adora: eat my ass

”Why couldn’t you send a normal message? What is wrong with you?”

”So I can show all your friends later,” Catra chuckled. She perked up when she saw Octavia round the corner with a take out bag. “Let’s bounce,” she hopped on her feet, taking the bag along with her.

When they finally part ways at Catra’s neighborhood, Adora found herself turning around to watch Catra shuffle inside her house. Is it possible to not want anything to do with a person, yet yearn for their company? She shook her head, carrying the paid-for food home.

Adora prayed she would make it through the year without having a mental breakdown dealing with Catra. Then again, life’s not that easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’re enjoying the fic, please leave a comment or kudo! I love everyone’s thoughts so far and hope to hear more! Thanks for all the comments and kudos so far too! I appreciate every single reader.
> 
> Catra: “Why is Glimmer’s entire family tree at Bright Moon??”
> 
> Me: “Listen I don’t have many fucking adults to work with now so bear with it.”


	4. A Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra does the unthinkable when things are looking disastrous. Then again, when was she ever predictable?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so so much Nyoooooy for this amazing fanart of this AU! Everyone, please show love to the talented artist!!! 
> 
> Artist Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nyoooooy/  
> Original Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLqf3OrpTjI/?igshid=o1iet0h0p4jc

Adora stood there, shell-shocked. She couldn't believe the words that left Coach Hawke's mouth. "You've gotta be kidding me," she groaned. "Please tell me you are." Usually, Adora never talked back like this, but this time was different. I mean, what the hell? Sure, Coach Hawke was questionable at times, but this one took the cake for the worst idea ever.

Coach Hawke nodded solemnly. "And I wish I was too," he added. "But this is the only way, okay?"

"Come on, she hasn't even come to practice for two weeks now! You can't just look past that," Adora rebutted.

Honestly, the second the bell dismissed everyone for the day, Catra was already gone and out the door. She was hard to catch, no matter how hard Adora tried. Even when she did stop her, Catra still somehow slipped past her. If only she put that dedication to literally anything else... Anyway, Adora constantly tries to remind Catra that she _had_ to attend the mandatory meet-ups, but to no avail. It wasn't fun talking to a brick wall. She only liked talking to Catra when it didn't come to school and such. Wait, like? Adora shook her head free from that strange thought.

"I know," he bit his lip. "But you have to see the bigger picture. As much as I don't want to, she's a vital part of the team." Catra only participated in two team practices before disappearing completely. And those two were the only evidence Coach Hawke needed to make his decision... but not without a heavy heart. He has to make sacrifices to better the team, even against Adora's better judgment. Actually, why was she mad again? Catra would bring them wins.

Coach Hawke made sure to watch her carefully during the practices where she was present; eyes mostly on her. Catra definitely had the drive to be up there with Adora and the other top players, along with the skills. The only thing holding her back was her attitude, which needed to be improved on drastically and as fast as possible if he wanted the future to ride by smoothly. The blatant misconduct could lead to suspension and possibly getting kicked from the team. Coach Hawke needed to watch out for that. Losing her would be losing opportunities.

"Even if she doesn't need to practice, the rest of the team needs to adapt to her! They need to get used to her; they can't just jump in a game and suddenly know how she plays and whatever. What if a teammate misjudges a situation and messes up because she didn't know what Catra was thinking?"

"The past scrimmages show that your team can definitely handle her. I know you guys will be fine, don't worry about it."

Adora huffed. She opened her mouth to respond again, but closed it to avoid saying more argumentative questions. She knew he wouldn't budge, but wanted to try one last time. "C. Hawke, I don't like this. As good as she is, she hasn't worked for it. There are tons of other girls who's tried for years to make it. She's been here for less than two months and you're already giving it to her? It's unfair."

Shaking his head, Coach Hawke put a hand up in front of him. "Adora, she's shown me enough for me to think that she well deserves it," he paused. "But since you're so adamant, I'll postpone the decision. I was only asking you to see how it would look, and..." He turned and walked away from Adora. "Looks like you have some strong feelings against her." It was the end of practice. When Adora heard that he wanted to talk to her, she didn't expect it to turn out this way. It really was unfair.

Sure, Catra's got game, but she can't just come and swoop in the position without working for it. Adora sighed into a hand. Noticing a problem, Glimmer walked over with Bow right beside her. They were standing by, watching the conversation unfold. "Hey, what was that all about?" she raised a brow. "You looked like you were about to rip Coach Hawke's damn head off. Did he kick you off the team or something?"

"I like how that's the first thing that came to your mind, Glimmer," Bow snorted. "There's no way that happened."

"I'm fine. He just... told me Catra was gonna be a starter."

"Isn't that good? Er, for her. And the team, I guess." Glimmer tilted her head slightly. Catra being a starter didn't exactly mean it was the end of the world. Worst... best case? It's only gonna add a few minutes to her stats. Glimmer didn't get why Adora hated the idea of Catra being on her team anyway. That girl was good. Maybe too damn good. What if she was an alien or android or evem had superpowers that somehow made her a basketball God?

"No! I had him change his mind. Then what's gonna stop him from giving her captain? Ace, star player, sure, but she's way too irresponsible to take up the mantle."

"Then I'm sure Coach Hawke sees that. You're probably worrying about nothing, Adora."

"Yeah," Bow put a hand on Adora's shoulder. "Come on, let's just go. We're gonna hang out at Glimmer's house, remember? We can talk more there if you want to."

"Fine, let me get out of my uniform first. I'll meet you guys outside the gym." Adora sighed once more, trudging back to the locker room. She mindlessly changed her clothes, head currently in the clouds. Catra was becoming more and more of a problem as time went on. She started skipping classes more efficiently. At first, Adora easily found her in some secluded corner, but this time around, she was sure Catra just left campus at this point to avoid being dragged to class. What the hell would she even do outside of school? Adora didn't get it.

Leaving the locker room with her duffel bag on one shoulder, she looked around to find her friends. Her eyes settled on the bleachers. "I'm good," she pointed to the exit doors with her thumb. 

The other two got up in response, eager to leave. "I heard Catra's been texting you," Bow winked, causing Adora to flinch.

They didn't need to know it was the other way around, so she just went along with it. "Yeah, I guess," Adora shrugged. She couldn't help but try to initiate conversations with the girl. To be honest, Catra was interesting and fun to talk to. Something about her just makes her so easy to communicate with. Nothing is ever boring with her. "We've been talking for a while now."

"And...?" a smirk formed on Bow's face. "Do you feel a spark?" Seeing Adora not notice she was head over heels was devastatingly hilarious.

"Bow!"

"I'm just curious about my best friend's love life, okay? Jeez, what are you so worked up about?"

"Love life?!" Adora felt her stomach drop. "I don't like her! We're just talking. Like regular people. I don't know why you're making this a big deal. I'm not over here saying you want to date every single person you text."

Glimmer raised a brow. "Uh... you're a little defensive there, Adora."

"Defensive? No, I'm just telling him that I'm not interested in Catra like that! God, you guys are just so annoying.”

”If you don’t have a crush on her, then go say hi to her right now,” Bow pointed ahead towards the parking lot. Catra was occupied, seemingly having a very pleasant conversation with an unknown girl. Her back was facing the group of three. “Go ahead. I’m waiting. Shouldn't be too bad, right?”

”Psh,” Adora scoffed. “I can do that easy. Here, watch me.” She started walking over to Catra, but stopped dead in her tracks midway there. She stayed there for a few moments before turning right back around. “Nevermind.” Okay, now this was getting ridiculous. _“What are you so damn scared of?”_ Adora groaned internally. All she had to do was greet Catra. So why was that so hard to do?

”What the hell?” Glimmer snickered. “You really can’t even say hi to her? Please, this is just too damn good.”

”N-No,” Adora put her hands up defensively. “She’s just busy talking to someone. I can’t interrupt like that. Do you know how rude it’d be?”

”Suuure,” Bow rolled his eyes. “You don’t wanna be rude.”

”Yeah, that’s all.”

“Hey, Catra!” Bow raised his voice alongside waving his hand to get her attention. That was pretty unnecessary, seeing as she can’t even... well, see him.

”H- Wha... You- What do you think you’re doing?!” Adora barely managed to stammer out, clearly panicking on sight. “Bow, stop!”

”Catra!!” Bow repeated, this time louder. It was then that Catra finally turned around to see who the hell was calling her. “Hey!” Bow continued to wave his arms wildly.

”Bow! I told you to stop!”

”What? I can’t say hi to my friend?”

”I just said she was busy!”

”Well, she’s not anymore. Look,” he switched his attention over to the approaching Catra. She stopped talking to that girl, waving her goodbye. “She’s coming over right now.”

”Yeah, I can see that!” Adora gulped. She felt her heartbeat quicken for some reason only God knows. “Why did you even do that?”

”I figured you wanted to talk to her.”

"Bow, I really hope your pillow is warm on both sides tonight. And for the rest of your life."

"Woah, hey! That's a little too much for me being a good wingman for you-"

”What's this about being a wingman?” Catra smugly grinned. She crossed her arms when she stopped walking. “Hey.”

That simple ‘hey’ made Adora feel weak in the knees. It was like Catra had some type of hold on her that she couldn’t quite get free from.

Glimmer smiled as a greeting. “You didn’t have to leave your friend to come talk to us. Bow was just saying hi as we passed by.”

”Really?” Catra chuckled. “I thought he wanted me to come over. He was waving at me like crazy. Seemed like it was important or whatever.”

”That’s just how he is. Sorry about interrupting your little talk,” Glimmer continued.

”So you have time to hang around school after classes but not have time to go to practice?” Adora rolled her eyes.

”I don’t know how many times I have to tell you this,” Catra huffed. “Practice is a waste of time. What do I need to practice on? Other than learning how to tolerate your bossy ass.”

”Bossy?! I’m only reminding you that if you keep it up, you’re gonna lose your spot on the team.”

”Oh, Adora, you know that won’t happen.”

”Man, just go back to your friend. I can’t even stand talking to you.”

Shaking her head, Catra let a small grin escape her lips. “She wasn’t a friend. That girl you saw, she was asking me out on a date.” The little interaction boosted her already huge ego.

Adora felt her heart thump strangely, but only once after she heard that sentence leave Catra’s mouth. That feeling didn’t make her feel too good, seeing as she didn’t recognize it nor like it. “Oh.” Was all she could say in return.

Bow whistled. “Wow, really? You’re miss popular now. Did you say yes?”

Glimmer jabbed Adora on the arm, whispering in her ear. “Looks like you got competition, Adora.”

Adora scoffed in response. “Competition? You’ve gotta be joking me.”

Catra blankly kept her friendly demeanor as if she didn’t hear what they were just talking about. Thank God. “Nah,” she shifted her weight to one leg. “I wasn’t that into her.” She waited a moment before continuing her speech, slyly eyeing Adora in the process. Even if for a brief moment, it seemed like a lightbulb popped up above her head. "But I wouldn't say I'm not completely uninterested."

Ah, just as she thought. Adora was too easy to read; the girl made a subtle movement as a reaction to the last comment. Bow cut in, arms up for some reason. "Nooo," he nervously laughed. "That girl? Bad news. Serial cheater." Damn, he was gonna get karma for this soon. _"I'm so, so, so sorry, random girl I've never seen before in my life,"_ he prayed internally. He promised himself he'd make up for his sins later by doing a good deed. "I think a better candidate for you is someone... like Adora!" He beamed at them with a wide grin, seemingly proud of what he did. 

Catra almost spit out the gum she was chewing. Bright Moon students really are all weird as fuck. "Uh..." she didn't know how to respond to that. Like, at all. If he was saying what she thinks he was saying, then why? Why would he say it like that? Catra's had her fair share of strange people, but this... this was different.

So, Catra didn’t know how to respond, and neither did Adora. She froze up as if she had just looked at Medusa, every muscle of her body stiffening into a petrified-like status. What the hell. What the hell. What the hell. Her mind was quickly filled with muddled thoughts of just straight-up panic. "Bow! Why would you say that?!" Adora shouted, trying to save face. Bow was far from subtle. He was just outright an idiot! "No, he didn't mean that, Catra!"

Bow realized his mistake and desperately attempted to mediate the awkward situation he had just caused. "R-right," he stuttered. "I meant you'd be good with someone _like_ Adora! Not her! Well, unless you want her-" he slapped his hand on his mouth. Each sentence that comes out is worse than the last. "Sorry, I didn't say it clearly. I can see how you might've heard it wrong. Ahaha..."

Pretending to buy the sorry excuse of a coverup, Catra nodded along. "Yeah..."

Adora shot Bow an 'I'm going to whoop your ass later' glare, causing him to take a large gulp to try and subside the growing feeling of dread. "Exactly what he meant,” Adora added.

"Well..." Catra backed away slowly, taking large steps back to create some distance between her and the rag-tag group of weirdos. "It was nice seeing you guys? I'll catch you on Monday, I guess."

"Actually, wait," Adora put a hand out to stop Catra from leaving for just a moment. "I need to talk to you about something."

"What's up?"

"Can you start going to practices? You can't just keep skipping them-"

"Oh, look at the time! Gotta go," Catra instantly spun on her heel, jogging away. She waved behind her for the last time. "See ya!"

The three watched as she disappeared into the horizon. Bow rubbed the back of his neck and glanced over to Adora, who was seething on the spot. Oops. "Uh... you're welcome?"

"You're welcome?! You're welcome for what? Tell me!" Adora blew up. Her face was red from a mix of embarrassment and anger. "I can't believe you did that."

"Yeah, honestly, that was a kinda shitty thing to do, Bow..." Glimmer crossed her arms, face serious. "You probably went too far this time. Teasing's one thing, but exposing her? Come on, man."

Sighing, Bow hung his head low. "Sorry, I just wanted to help. How is she gonna know you like her if you never say so?"

"For the last time, I never said I liked her! I don't get why you even think that in the first place."

Bow and Glimmer shared 'that' look with each other. "Yeah... uh-huh. Whatever you say."

"I swear to God..." Adora mumbled. "Let's just go, alright?" She broke off from the group, causing them to follow closely after. Despite the apologies and pleading, she still was somewhat mad. Not only that, she was also confused. How the hell did her friends even get the thought that she was even remotely interested in Catra? Did she say something? Trying to wrap her head around it, Adora came up with no explanation. She didn't like Catra... right?

No way. All Catra did was cause problems for her. Thinking about her now even made her get worked up. Yeah, Adora didn’t like Catra, at least not in that kind of way. It was so annoying how the sweet tone of Catra’s voice distracted her. How the way she smiled made Adora’s mind go blank. How she goes about her life without a single care in the world. It didn’t seem right to Adora.

  
A few weeks passed by, the same old hijinx happening back and forth between Catra and Adora. After a month and a half, it was finally time for their first game of the season. Each school was now ready after hours and hours put into practice. Adora was relieved, for lately, she was able to keep Catra in line. Her truancy was decreasing, seeing as Adora kept a tighter leash on the girl, much to her chagrin. She had her eye on her every minute of the school day that was possible.

Each time Catra was one step away from breaking a rule or causing trouble, Adora was able to step in last second to stop her from whatever chaos she was about to partake in. Adora figured that after a few more months, Catra would finally calm down.

As Catra got up from her seat after the lunch bell rung, Adora quickly stood up too, already ready to follow. Catra noticed the shuffling noise behind her, prompting her to turn around. “Jeez, calm down there.”

”Where are you going?” Adora interrogated.

”Hm,” Catra nonchalantly shrugged, turning back around. “Bathroom. What, you gonna wait outside the stall for me?”

Adora sat back down. “No, I was just checking to see if you were leaving campus again.”

”Couldn’t even if I wanted to,” Catra walked out the door. Adora waited a few moments before following her once more. She had a gut feeling that going to the bathroom wasn’t the only destination Catra had in mind. Adora trailed close behind Catra, weaving in and out of cover to stay hidden from her. She watched as Catra goes down the hallways towards the bathroom.

 _”Oh, she’s actually going to the bathroom...”_ But Adora’s relief was cut short when Catra turned the corner and headed up the stairway. _“Well, looks like I celebrated way too soon.”_ She peeked ahead to see if Catra saw her. Clear.

Adora made her way up the stairs, catching glimpses of Catra every now and then as she went up the flights. Okay, now this was weird. She wasn’t stopping on any of the floors... oh. It wasn’t long before she reached the door to the rooftop. It was wide open, the breeze blowing past Adora’s face. _“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”_

Clenching her hands into a fist, she stormed outside. Adora looked around for any sign of Catra, but didn’t see anything. Just as she was about to give up, she heard footsteps behind her. Whipping her head around towards the sound, her soul almost left her body when Catra jump scares her.

”Boo!” Catra threw her arms out, the sudden movement clearly scaring Adora. Adora jolted in response, a small whimper escaping her mouth. It was somewhat cute.

”Catra!” Adora groaned. “Why the hell did you do that?”

”You think I didn’t see you back there? You gotta work on your stealth game or something. I caught you from a mile away, you know?”

Trying to calm her rapid heart rate, Adora took deep breaths to try to ease the rush of adrenaline she just got. “You can’t be up here, Catra.”

”Hey,” Catra put her hands on her hips. “It beats me leaving campus, right? It’s not hurting anyone anyway. I don’t get what the big deal is.”

”Rooftop access is restricted. You should know that by now.”

”If it is, then why was the door unlocked?” Catra raised a brow.

”Don't ask me!” Actually, that was a good question. Why _was_ it unlocked? No, now wasn’t the time to dwell on dumb questions. The point is, Catra was yet again, breaking a rule. “Look, if you’re not going to the bathroom, then let’s just get back to class.”

”Come on, Adora,” Catra wrapped an arm around Adora’s shoulder, slightly dragging her down with the height difference. “It’s just the roof. You can’t tell me it’s not nice up here. It’s a good place to chill for a while.”

Adora sighed. She took a glance at the scenery. It really was nice... and she could take a little break from the crowded classroom for once. “Alright, but I’m only staying so you won’t do anything stupid,” she made up a flimsy excuse to not seem like she was that easy to win over.

”Great!” Catra took Adora by the hand and led her to the corner of the rooftop. It had shade and was tucked away so if anyone walked in, they wouldn’t see the two. “I come here all the time since you’re always on my ass.” She didn't get why in the past few weeks, Adora amped up her supervision. Even the slightest thing threw her into a frenzy. It was annoying enough to have teachers nag her, but someone she's with for the majority of the day? Yikes.

”I’m doing it for you,” Adora scoffed. “You’re always so sure that you won’t get kicked out, but what if it really happens? What would you do then?"

”Aw,” Catra drawled. “You care about me. How cute.”

”Shut up!”

Catra took a seat, leaning against the wall. She patted the space beside her, inviting Adora to join her. “Come sit with me. Well, unless you wanna stand all day. I don’t mind either way.”

”You always have something to say,” Adora bent down, easing into the empty spot. “It doesn’t hurt to be nice for a day.”

”When am I not nice? Remember when I bought you food?”

”You said you do it all the time.”

”Wow,” Catra shook her head. “And that’s not nice? I can’t believe you.”

”Ugh, whatever. And then after that, you told everyone I asked for your nudes!”

”You literally did! I don’t know how to break it to you, but asking someone for a picture when they’re taking a bath is kind of also asking for nudes.”

”Because you said there was a huge spider on the wall! I wanted a picture of the spider, not of yourself!”

”I don’t know, you didn’t specify. How the hell was I supposed to know what you meant? Am I supposed to be a mind reader now or something?”

”No! I was just defending myself. Plus, you didn't have to tell the whole damn school.”

Catra didn’t hold in her laughter anymore. She held her stomach as she doubled over. Adora couldn’t help but watch. It was endearing in a way. That weird feeling came back, the same one that popped up whenever Catra smiled. Whenever she looked her way.

Taking a deep breath, Adora closed her eyes as the cool breeze swept past her hair. It felt really nice, contrasting the mildly warm weather outside. “I can see why you like this place,” she blurted out.

”And why’s that?”

”I... I don’t know. I guess it’s just nice. It’s quiet, unlike the classroom.” Not to mention the view. She’d never been on the rooftop before, and for some reason regretted it. Being here was something she was glad of. Adora stretched, settling against the wall. She felt a little drowsy. Then again, this week has been busy, prepping for the upcoming game and all.

”Yeah, it is. I get what you mean. Me and my friends back in Horde High had a spot like this. Away from all the noise, so we just had ourselves for the time.”

"Do you miss them?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I do. But it's not too bad. I can see them any time anyway still. I'm still here after all."

"Right, right."

Adora nodded off, staying awake was getting harder and harder. At least the noise and excitement of the classroom kept her up. Catra glanced at Adora, noticing the small bobbing her head. “Sleepy?” she giggled. “You can take a nap, I’ll wake you up when lunch ends.”

”No, it’s fine. I’m not that tired.”

”If you say so.”

”How’d you even come to find this place? Do you hang around all the rooftops of your school or what?”

”Nah, I just needed a place to chill. I figured here was a good place to check out. Turns out the door was never locked.”

”So you didn’t pick the lock?”

”Hell no. Do you think I’m some kind of fucking criminal? Where would I even learn to do something like that?”

”It was just a question. I wasn’t accusing you of anything,” Adora chuckled. Her eyes were closed now, her consciousness slowly drifting away. Talking didn’t help, as she wasn’t too invested in the current conversation that they were having.

”Riiight. So, do you just stay put in the classroom all day? You guys don’t have a hangout spot or anything during break or lunch? Nothing?”

”Well, our hangout spot is the classroom. We always use it.”

”I can tell,” Catra tapped the floor with a finger. “I guess it isn’t too bad. Sometimes it gets way too damn loud though. I don’t know how you deal with that mess.”

”Tell me about it. Sometimes I think about finding a new spot, but where would we go? Everywhere’s basically the same here. A place like here’s nice, but I’d like to remind you that it’s off limits.”

”Well, you gotta make sacrifices sometimes. I don’t know what to tell you. But honestly, nobody comes here. I don’t think you’d get caught.”

”I’d rather not invade your favorite spot.”

”Ehh, it’s big enough for four people.”

”Do you think you’re ready for the game today?”

”You don’t even have to ask,” Catra raised a brow. “Of course I’m ready. Why wouldn’t I be?”

”I’m just worried since you never come to practice. It’s called practice for a reason, you know?”

”A day in my shoes, and you’ll see that I don’t need to deal with that bullshit,” Catra paused. “But if you really want, I guess I could go to some.”

Catra waited for some sort of reply, but it never came. No response. None at all. She turned slightly to look at Adora, who she swear she heard softly snoring. “Adora?” Calling her didn’t work. Well, that settles the conversation. She continued staring out into the open sky as the silence cleared her head.

Just sitting there for a few minutes already made her feel so much better. The constant droning of boring lessons and unsavory student body of Bright Moon was just as bad as Horde High. It was strange; even if the schools had widely different demographics and looks, the 'feel' was the same. The only reason Catra attended school at all for the past three years was because of her friends. She found herself doing the same here. She didn't get it. Something about the people she met made her time here not as... awful. Suddenly, something weighed down on her shoulder. Catra’s eyes darted to the source, and was surprised to see Adora leaning on her like a pillow.

Catra avoided looking at Adora for what seemed like forever. Time dragged on as the blonde rested on her shoulder. Since there was virtually nothing interesting to distract her, she was now stuck in an awkward predicament. All panic aside, she wouldn’t dare wake Adora up. All she could hear was the sound of the throbbing in her head. She felt the immense pressure disappear when Adora stirred from beside her, a small groan coming out. _“Oh, thank God.”_

Adora’s eyes shot open. She straightened back up, instantly meeting eyes with Catra. “Crap, did I fall asleep?” She felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. She fell asleep, but also most likely on Catra’s shoulder. Her stiff neck was evidence of it.

”Yeah, but not for that long,” Catra shrugged. “Only for a few minutes. Lunch is still going on for another thirty or so minutes if you want to continue your nap.”

And honestly, that was the best idea Catra had ever given her. Even if she just woke up, the effects of the small nap before were getting to her. It was hard even now to stay awake. “I don’t know...”

”Don't worry,” Catra patted Adora’s hand. “I’ll wake you up before the bell rings. Just go back to sleep. You look like you need it.”

Adora leaned back against the wall once more, giving in to temptation. “Remember to wake me up, okay?”

”Yeah, yeah,” Catra waved her hand dismissively. “I will. Just take your damn nap.” She got back to doing... well, nothing as Adora tried falling asleep. She stared blankly ahead until the fussing got to her. Adora was shifting her posture every few seconds, as if she were really uncomfortable.

In return, Catra sighed. "Here," she patted her lap.

Widening her eyes, Adora's face quickly switched from confused to _very_ confused. "What?"

"You can lay down on my lap, dummy." What else could she mean by that?

"No, it's okay-"

"I'd rather you not toss and turn five hundred times. I prefer some peace and quiet during my break, you know?"

This type of intimacy was something they were nowhere near supposed to have. They've only known each other for a month or so now; a lap pillow was out of the question. It was awkward. Too awkward to do... so why did Adora like the idea of it? She was battling herself in her head, one side begging her to accept and the other pleading for her to decline politely. "I..." she paused. "Okay."

Slowly lowering her head as she leaned into Catra's lap, Adora found it harder and harder to do. At this point, she was straining herself to prolong the interaction as much as possible. It was so embarrassing for some reason. When her ear finally brushed Catra's thigh, Adora flinched. She finally settled after a few more painful moments. "Jesus, I was wondering when you'd do it," Catra remarked.

Adora kept quiet, trying to calm her ever so racing heart and thoughts. This was a thousand times more uncomfortable than before, but she couldn't just turn back now. It was too late to change her mind. Catra tapped her twice on the cheek with her palm. "Enjoy," she chuckled.

Adora eventually settled, but not after basically fighting a war against herself. And once she did, it got better. Catra's lap beat the hard-ass wall she was leaning against earlier, and laying down did help. Catra looked at the back of Adora's head as she went from stiffly laying there to naturally resting. After a minute-too-long stare, she turned back to the familiar sky. The upcoming game was quite strange, she noted. Horde High had never participated in such a thing. Was it because Bright Moon Academy was essentially a private school? She shook her head. The first game they were playing was part of a mini-tournament. That sounds weird, but trust me, it gets even weirder from there. Apparently, they gave out trophies for the winners of the first round. A.K.A. the first game they'd play. Trophies. Fucking trophies. For the first damn game of the tournament.

All in all, she was still somewhat excited to play again. She looked down at Adora, who seemed to have fallen asleep again. Catra's hand unconsciously reached out to play with her hair, but stopped when Catra noticed. _"What's wrong with me?"_

Catra entered the gym with the rest of her team, Adora already waiting inside with Coach Hawke. She walked over to the bench where most of the team sat, waiting for the game to start. Watching Adora discuss what was most likely the game plans for the upcoming match, she looked around at the somewhat familiar setting. She'd been here multiple times for the past three years, though not as one of their own players. This time, she was going to debut as a Rebel. It was weird, really. How things turned out to be this way.

Honestly speaking, being away from her home team made her feel a tinge of melancholy. Her teammates who she trusted and shared a bond with were now not here. She had a choice to do the same with her new team, but also a choice not to. Only time would tell what her decision will be. Catra took in a deep breath and got comfortable. She's probably gonna be here for a while before getting thrown in.

To be fair, she expected the treatment. Adora was right; she hadn't done anything to deserve minutes. But then again, why was she obligated to? She didn't particularly care about the team, nor the school. She had a connection with Horde High that she saw nothing of in Bright Moon. Is it because she just transferred? No, enough time has passed, and the feelings she held of the school weren't exactly positive. Her biggest hope was to be back at Horde High with all her friends and makeshift family.

The only thing that made her happy was the thought of just being able to play basketball... and yet that's not what she's getting. The sound of the buzzer ripped through the loud chatterings of everyone in the gymnasium, indicating that the game was about to start. Each team's starter lined up at the center of the court, ready for the jump ball. Catra narrowed her eyes at the sight. She should be there.

Once the referee blew his whistle, he threw it high in the air. Instantly, both team's centers shot up, reaching to grab it before the other could. Unfortunately for the Bright Moon Rebels, Salineas got the best of them and received first possession of the game. Coach Hawke shook his head, but it wasn't all too bad. They still had a clean slate.

...Or so he thought. A little over halfway through the quarter, it was already 9-22. The difference was huge, and things seemed like they weren't going to change. Coach Hawke watched as his team got decimated in both defense and offense. Though he had hope. They've won against the Dolphins a few times. Maybe his team needed time to warm up. Nope. Another few minutes swept by, the lead growing larger and larger. He frantically called a time out, signaling the referee.

His team returned to his side, most in a bad mood due to the current game situation. He pursed his lips, looking at the group. They seemed fine stamina-wise, but that was all they had going for them. "We need to switch it up. Your defense is too lax," Coach Hawke turned to the power forward. "You need to protect the paint with more effort." Adora was the only one he didn't have anything to say to— she was doing great as an individual... but that wasn't enough for a team-based game. She can't carry the whole team or make up for the other four players on the court.

He glanced over to the side. It was a little earlier than usual, but the substitution was desperately needed. "Weaver!" Coach Hawke waved his hand, beckoning her to get up from the bench. "You're in!" He planned on saving her for the second half to solidify the win, but now he just needed her to get them back on the board.

"Took you for fucking ever!" Catra instantly shot up, excited to finally play. The last time she was a benchwarmer was freshman year, and that was only for two games. She grabbed her wrist, stretching it in eager anticipation. The girl getting replaced by Catra trudged over to the bench. It's only been a few minutes for God's sakes. Shooting a subtle glare Catra's way, she ducked behind the girl. The buzzer sounded once more, each team returning to the game.

Catra entered the court with an overwhelming sense of confidence. Arms high in the air to stretch, she found herself getting more and more pumped up for the game. It was a little different this time; she was donning a different uniform. The colors put her off slightly, but that was the only thing holding her back. Playing for another team was something she never thought would happen. The Salineas Dolphins felt a very familiar sense of unease as Catra stepped up. The team knew her, and they knew her well. "Hey, Adora," Catra grinned. Standing in front of Adora, she waited for her to pass the ball and start the play. "Ready to see how real pros play?"

"Pft," Adora huffed. "In your dreams. Do me a favor and don't hog the ball this time, yeah?"

"I'll think about it."

In that moment, Adora passed the basketball towards Catra. Once the ball was out of her hands, Adora jogged past Catra to get into position, but not before getting the last word in. "Make the best of what little minutes you're getting."

Catra rolled her eyes, dribbling the ball in place. Refocusing on the game, she looked ahead at the sight in front of her. The opponents were using a man-to-man defense, so her best bet was to start the play off with a simple isolation tactic. Either she would get open, or a teammate would. She shuddered at the thought of giving the ball to a teammate just for them to miss. She'd seen enough to know it was likely.

Walking at a steady pace, she waited to see if any changes happened. None. The defense was tight, and nobody was willing to make a move. The person marking her stepped closer, looking for a chance to steal the ball away. Her stance was low. Too low. Catra took the opportunity to drive to the right. The girl unexpectedly goes for a steal, arms reaching far for the ball. In retaliation, Catra took the ball and stepped back, creating space for her to shoot. Too slow to react, her defender couldn't catch up in time and let Catra take an easy three-pointer.

The lead the other team had was decreasing more and more as Catra repeated the same plays over and over, her defender not being able to stop an attempt so far. Their coach had enough and called a time-out. The Bright Moon Rebels reconvened at their side of the court, celebrating the turnaround. Coach Hawke was beaming with a toothy grin. "Catra!" he called out. "Great work! Keep it up, I'm extending your minutes."

"What? Then what about-" Adora tried to talk, but was cut off by Coach Hawke.

"Don't worry, Adora. I've adjusted the roster to fit in Catra's new time in the game. I've only taken a few off of each person, so the change isn't that big. Everyone, take a breather. Time-out's almost up."

Adora shook her head at the new precedent. "Fine."

When the minute passed by in what seemed like a few seconds, Catra was already up and out in the court. Adora was intrigued at her sudden motivation and interest in a simple game. Did she really love basketball that much? The teams repositioned in preparation for the rest of the quarter. It was the Salineas Dolphins' possession. It wasn't long before they made their way to the Rebel's side of the court, looking for a way to score. The game was getting tighter and tighter, and if they kept slacking off, the Rebels would soon be in the lead. The boos that once were directed towards Catra were now loud cheers.

The Dolphins' small forward ripped free from the defense, attempting to shoot a mid-range shot. Catra rushed in, putting up a hand just in time to throw the shooter's aim off, causing the ball to bounce off the rim. Adora quickly jumped for the rebound, grabbing it out of the air before the opposing team got the chance to. She landed solidly on her feet, eyes already looking for a target to pass to. They settle on Catra, who had her arms up to signal she was open. Pushing aside personal thoughts, she tossed the ball over. As soon as she caught the ball, Catra sprinted across the court to try and beat the fast-break.

She stopped dead in her tracks as two people jump out in front of her, ready for her. _"Fucking double team? Really?"_ Catra clicked her tongue. She took a step back to give herself room to think about her next course of action. The double defenders were effectively blocking her way, but that was no problem. She could shake them off in her sleep. Catra dribbled the ball hard, picking up the tempo. She watched the two people on her for anything to exploit.

Catra spun towards the left, and as expected, her path was blocked. If she retreated back to the opposite side, the other person was there waiting for her. She then weaved the ball in a fast-paced rhythm in between each girls' legs, keeping track of its position every single time. Confused by the erratic movement, both were lost. Catra let out a small smirk as she slipped past. While attacking the rim, another person caught wind of the situation and stepped in front of her.

"Hey!" Adora's voice pierced through the heavy tension and crowds. "Here!"

Two simple words were all Catra needed. Adora was standing by the rim, wide open for a shot. But Catra couldn't pass. She knew that if she tried to, it would one hundred percent get intercepted. The only way to get the ball over to Adora was very risky, but it was better than nothing. After debating it for a moment, Catra then tossed the ball high in the air, it hurdling towards the backboard. Like Adora was reading her mind, she jumped for the impromptu alley-oop. Almost missing the catch, Adora slammed it into the rim with two hands, hanging on for a few seconds for style. When she let go, the rim rattled for a few seconds. The crowd went crazy.

Adora took in the burst of cheering, the audience clearly enjoying the spectacle and high-action play. "Nice pass," she jabbed Catra on the shoulder on the way back.

"Mm," Catra brushed her off. It was honestly nothing. A simple alley-oop never got the Horde High crowd all worked up like that. Maybe because they were used to it? She wasn't sure. At least she knew now that she could depend on Adora for now. Reacting fast to situations like that wasn't something she saw often in her new teammates. Also, to be honest... all the noise wasn't that bad.

She waited at the center for the Dolphins' point guard to finally come up. The point guard cautiously dribbled the ball, keeping a good distance between her and Catra. She knew that one mistake can easily cost her a turnover. For just a moment, she took her eyes off of Catra to look for any opportunities to score and open teammates. One moment was apparently too long, and Catra quickly dove for the ball once it left the point guard's hand. Catching it between the air and the ground, she picked it up, instantly sprinting towards the other side during the fast-break. "Shit...!" the point guard cursed, turning around to stop Catra from barreling through the court.

But she was too slow to catch up. Catra was already long gone. Approaching the rim from the elbow, Catra threw the ball towards the backboard. Everyone laughed when it seemed like she had missed a free and open shot, but quickly shut up when Catra jumped after it. Ricocheting off the glass, the ball bounced back into her hands. "No way," a voice cut through the silence as if they knew what she was going for.

And yes way. Catra caught the ball with one hand, dunking it into the hoop with enough force to send a sound that resonated throughout the gym. The crowd was quiet only for a few seconds before breaking into louder cheers and screams. Her teammates on the sidelines all stood up, celebrating the unexpected play. Catra grinned while she jogged back to her team's side of the court.

Bow couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "You're kidding me. This is literally the first quarter, and she gives us a self-alley? She's crazy."

Glimmer, who was beside him, nodded in agreement. "But you can't lie, she's giving everyone something to stay for."

Catra didn't break eye contact with Adora as she joined the team. "Looks like you aren't the only one who can do flashy dunks," she quipped.

Adora didn't say anything, ignoring the obvious attempt to rile her up. If Catra wanted a competition, then she's getting one. The quarter ended with the Bright Moon Rebels turning the game around and seizing the lead that was once the Dolphins'. The match went from being an uneven 9-22 to an astounding 24-22. What surprised everyone was how quick Catra dropped all of those points in just under twelve minutes.

Coach Hawke sighed. Maybe he shouldn't have listened to Adora in the first place. The sole reason why Salineas isn't stomping them right now is because of Catra. He felt strangely excited for the next quarter to start. He wanted to see what else Catra had in store for him, and mostly the team. The sudden shift in teammates was off-putting for some, but it didn't matter. Catra was going to play the majority of the game, and that was that. When the break ended and the second quarter started, he leaned back into his seat, not worried for the future of the game. And Coach Hawke was right to. The explosive end of the last quarter boosted her teammate's morales and motivation, causing them to pick up the slack that almost ruined their game.

He glanced between the game and Salineas' coach, who was growing more and more worried at the predicament. As time went on, he noticed an odd thing. Even though Catra and Adora were teammates, they seemed to be head to head with each other, constantly trying to one-up and outdo the other. Every time Adora made a play, Catra returned the favor by doing something that caught more attention and vice versa. It was good that they were trying their best, but... something like this wasn't healthy for teamwork and coordination. They were just individual players wearing the same uniform at this point.

By the time the first half ended, Salineas' team was out of energy trying to keep up with the onslaught of scoring attempts made by Catra and Adora alone. Coach Hawke waved the two over. "You two need to slow down," he crossed his arms. "If you keep it up at this pace, you'll burn out way before the game ends."

Catra scoffed in return. "Maybe Adora, but not me. I'm still good," she jerked her thumb towards Adora. "Worry more about your dear captain."

"No, I can keep going!" Adora swatted the hand away. They weren't done yet.

Coach Hawke pinched the bridge of his nose. Catra wasn't exactly lying. She was seemingly in perfect condition, while Adora was showing signs of tiring herself out. The girl was practically drenched in sweat, huffing and puffing on the spot. "Catra's right, Adora. You should take it easy. We're in the lead now, I don't see why you have to overexert yourself anymore. Just focus on defense for now."

Adora shook her head. She couldn't believe Coach Hawke was taking Catra's side of all people. "Fine." Taking a seat at the bench, some of her teammates crowded her.

"Nice job, Adora!" one said excitedly.

"Yeah, good work, Captain!" another chimed in. "You're amazing out there!"

"Thanks," Adora felt wrong accepting the compliments, for as she knew deep down inside... most of it was because of Catra. They were only in the lead because of Catra. They only turned the game around because of her. Adora didn't like the fact that Catra was already rising through the ranks in her first game. It wasn't a question now whether she'd take the title of Ace away from Adora.

The game easily ended in a blow-out win for Bright Moon. It went from a close one to a monster victory. To be fair, it was expected from the second Catra was substituted in. One measly win set a precedent for how future games were going to turn out. Horde High had its rounds with Catra, and now it was Bright Moon's turn to reap the upcoming wins the girl would earn them.

Stomping through the hallways, Adora searched around for Catra. She had asked the teacher to go to the bathroom to go find her. She never returned from going somewhere during lunch. It had been thirty minutes since class had started, so she knew Catra was definitely skipping. She still had to be here, right? Adora wildly turned her head around every corner, looking for any sign of the truant. A glimpse of an all-too-familiar jacket moving past a locker caught her eye, causing her to chase after the sight.

Turning the corner, she finally caught Catra. "Catra!" Adora shouted, running after the girl before she slipped through her fingers. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Catra stopped walking and turned around. "Oh," she took a hand out of her pocket to wave. "Hey, Adora. I was just on the rooftop. I'm leaving now to grab some food. I forgot to do it before taking a nap up there. You wanna come?"

"No! Do that after class. You're coming with me," Adora grabbed Catra's wrist, pulling her away. "You need to stop skipping class. You're gonna get in trouble for doing that."

Catra skidded on her heels trying to stop, but kept going. She tried to wrench her hand free, but the hold remained. _"Jesus, how strong is she?!"_ Catra struggled to no avail. "Let go!"

"I'll let go once we get to class," but Adora stopped walking once she heard the devastating sound of keys jingling down the hallway. _"Oh no."_ It was most likely a teacher patrolling the halls. She'd avoided them earlier, but how were two people going to hide this time? She glanced over to Catra, who too heard the keys. If they got seen, they'd get in trouble for being outside of class. It'd look like they were meeting up to skip or something. Adora scanned the environment for any place to hide, but Catra was one step ahead and pulled her into the nearby room. "H-Hey!" Adora whispered.

"Shh!" Catra put a finger to her lips, holding Adora close as she shut the door. Sure enough, a shadowy figure walked past the door moments later, as seen through the opaque window. Once the footsteps were gone, Catra let go. "That was close."

"It wouldn't have been close if you weren't ditching class!" Adora groaned. She looked around for a second. "Great, now we broke into the Principal's office..."

"It's not breaking in if the door was unlocked," Catra shrugged. "She'll never know anyway if we leave right now..." she paused. "But..."

Adora did not like that 'but' one bit. Not at all. "No buts. We need to get out of here before she comes back."

"Come on," Catra took a few steps towards Principal Moon's desk, but Adora quickly walked in front of her, blocking her off. "I'm just gonna look at a few things."

"No!"

Trying to sidestep Adora, Catra was quickly met again with a roadblock. "It's harmless, I swear."

Adora furrowed her brows. Her frustration was growing by the minute. "I'm honestly so sick of this," she gestured with her arms harshly. "Why can't you not break the rules? Just for one year. One. Why do you have to make this so hard for me? I promised Principal Moon I'd look after you, but all you've shown is that I'm not reliable! Do you know how much you're affecting my reputation?"

Catra opened her mouth to reply, but Adora quickly cut her off. "It's so tiring to see you blatantly disregard every single thing that you come across. I'm wasting so much energy just trying to keep track of you," she put a hand on her face. "Catra, you have to understand where I'm coming from. This may all be fun and games for you, but I'm here too. I have to be with you for the entire year, whether we like it or not. It's horrible seeing you piss off everyone you meet. Do you think it makes you look cool?"

"Cool?!" Catra scoffed. "You think I'm fucking doing this to look cool? No, I'm not doing this for some stupid sense of validation. I'm like this because I. Don't. Fucking. Care." She jabbed Adora on the shoulder with a finger, stepping closer towards Adora.

Adora backed up a little. "Your reasoning doesn't matter. You're just making it hard for everyone around you. Are you really this selfish?"

"Adora, open your eyes. I'm not bothering anybody by what I do. They're _choosing_ to be bothered by it. Including you. You don't _have_ to always stop me. You don't always _have_ to worry about me. Don't you get it? Me sleeping in class doesn't disrupt anything. Nobody fucking cares; they're not even looking at me. They're more focused on the lesson, but the teacher is the one who chooses to stop in the middle of class to personally call me out, making everybody lose focus. Me skipping class doesn't bother anyone because I'm not even there. So tell me, what's so wrong about what I'm doing?"

Returning to her erratic body movement to emphasize her points, Adora tried again. "Didn't you hear what I said? Of course you 'bother' people by doing those things," she air quoted. "I told you that Principal Moon expects me to keep you in line. You showing that I'm clearly not doing a good job is screwing me over."

Catra took her eyes off of Adora, and instead noticed something behind her. With every shift in movement, Adora was getting closer and closer to knocking it over. "Adora-"

"So please," Adora continued. "Please just do this for me."

"No, Adora-" Catra pointed behind her.

"Do this one thing for me. That's all I'm asking for."

"Adora! Be careful! You're gonna-"

Feeling her elbow bump into something, she jolted a little as she turned around to see what she had just touched. "Wha...?" Body fully turned around, it was too late when the trophy sitting on Principal Moon's desk came toppling over, effectively shattering into unrepairable pieces as soon as it hit the ground.

Both girls flinched as the loud noise probably rang inside the room and most likely out the hallway. "Fuck," Catra cursed under her breath. She bent down to take a look at the broken trophy. Hand hovering over the glass shards, she clicked her tongue. "Why the fuck would they make the trophy a glass one? Are they stupid? Of course shit like this would happen."

"Oh, no..." Adora backed up from her accident, hand over her mouth. Her mind was going blank at the overload of thoughts. She broke it. She broke the trophy. Adora snapped out of it when she heard rapid footsteps coming from the hallway. "Catra, we have to go! Someone's coming!" she grabbed her shoulder.

"Right, right," Catra stood up. "Let's go," she pulled Adora by the hand, her free hand gripping the doorknob. As she swung the door open in haste, she walks into a very confused Micah... and Principal Moon behind him.

"Catra? What are you doing in there? You know you're trespassing."

"Uh... I was looking for the bathroom?" Catra weakly grinned.

Micah sighed. "Ms. Moon will write you up for this... Adora?" his eyes landed on the blonde behind her. "You're here too?"

"Micah, move," Principal Moon pushed him aside to face the two troublemakers. "Catra, care to explain what you're doing in my office?"

"I was looking for the bathroom," Catra repeated, this time more confident.

Adora cringed internally. " _She's really going for that excuse? And she's even committing..."_

Principal Moon gasped when she sees the shattered trophy on the floor. "You...!" she accused. "Explain yourself. _Now."_

Catra stared at her for a moment before making a decision. Adora was helpless, unable to speak for herself. She was scared out of her mind. "...I broke it. Adora's only here because she was trying to bring me back to class," Catra smiled, seemingly content with what she had just said.

Adora watched as Catra get chewed out by Principal Moon. She'd never seen the principal ever get this mad, nor an administrator. The words directed at Catra even made Adora feel like she was getting yelled at. She stayed put beside Catra, unable to move a muscle as the blame she deserved was wrongfully being put on another person.

"Do you have any idea what you did?!" Principal Moon's voice was shaky. "You broke school property. Not even that, it was the first trophy. The first trophy the school has ever gotten for athletics." She didn't even care if it was expensive or not. It was the thought of winning something for once that made it so special. "And whilst breaking into my own office!"

"It's not breaking in if the door wasn't locked," Catra smirked. The school was so fucking weird. Why leave everything that you restrict access to unlocked and free to enter? "Also, it's my trophy. I'm the one who earned it anyway."

 _"Now wasn't the time to be snarky, Catra!"_ Adora grit her teeth. She was going to make it worse with her attitude.

"Trespassing then! Is that better?" Principal Moon gestured towards Catra, ignoring the second remark. "We had an agreement, but you have gone back on your word every single chance you've gotten! I should've known from your record."

"Hey," Micah put a hand on Angella's shoulder. "Calm down, you can't be yelling at students. I'm sure we can be civil about this."

Principal Moon rubbed her temples, sighing deeply. "Yes, you're right. Catra, your suspensions haven't magically disappeared the second you set foot into Bright Moon Academy. Your infractions follow you alongside your whole high school education."

Catra then perked up. She knew where this was going, and did not like one bit of it.

"Breaking and entering or trespassing, vandalizing school property warrants a suspension altogether," Principal Moon counted on a hand. Add on to that multiple referrals and writeups. This time you've reached your limit. I, unfortunately, have to expel you from Bright Moon Academy."

There it is. Catra bit her tongue, looking for a way out. "Expulsion?! You've gotta be kidding me." Her heart raced at the words. Was she panicking? Maybe, but she didn't let it show. She kept still, giving away no sign that she was about to lose it.

"Does this look like a joke to you, Catra?" she raised a brow. "You do realize that your actions have consequences, right?"

This time, Adora spoke up. Catra taking the fall for her was already too much, but expulsion for something she didn't do was unfair. "Wait," she took a step forward. "It wasn't Catra's fault. You didn't let us explain."

"Adora, don't worry. You're not in trouble. I already know you were trying to stop her," Principal Moon put a hand up. Catra twitched at the sign of obvious favoritism.

"Yes, I was trying to stop her, but she didn't break the trophy on purpose. She only knocked it over trying to keep me from falling over."

"What do you mean?"

"She bumped into it as she tried to catch me. I would've hit my head on your desk otherwise," Adora averted eye contact, lowering her head.

Taking in the new information, Principal Moon pursed her lips. An accident. She wasn't sure what to make of it. Surely, it wasn't exactly fair to punish Catra for an accident, but repercussions were still to be had. She rested her head on her knuckles, arm propped up on the table. "Is that true?" she studied the two. As she waited for a response, she thought about it some more. Maybe expulsion was too rash. After all, Catra _could_ in theory bring them more trophies, awards, whatever.

"Y-Yes," Adora gripped the hem of her sweater. She never lied before, let alone to an administrator. It wasn't even a white lie. It was a big one, but telling the truth at this point would just be a bad idea. "That's what happened."

Principal Moon sighed once more. "Fine," she shook her head. "I'll tack off vandalism. Catra, you're lucky Adora was here. I'm suspending you for three days, but keep in mind that this might be the last time I'm letting you off."

Finally, Catra found the chance to relax. She let go of the breath she had been holding for a while now. "That's all then?"

"That's all," Principal Moon waved them off. "Catra, go home. I'll see you on Thursday. Adora, you may return to class."

Catra left first, Adora following soon behind her after waving goodbye. As Catra shut the door, taking a few steps away from the office, but not before turning towards Adora with a serious expression. "You owe me a favor," she tilted her head. "Adora." Then, she whipped her head back around, disappearing down the hallway.

Adora took a big gulp in response. Crisis avoided, right? So why did she feel this strong sense of dread crawling up her spine?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’re liking the fanfic, please leave a comment or kudo! I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts/appreciation! Thank you all for everything so far.
> 
> Looks like this AU is nearing it's end alongside Look my Way... I am cooking up another fanfic though behind the scenes. I’m sure you guys will find it at least a little bit interesting. I’ll release it some time after either Look my Way or this fic ends.
> 
> I've been updating very slowly lately, and that probably won't change for now. Recently, there's been a surge of work from my classes alongside personal obligations. I'll try my best to keep up my work count quota but it's not looking so good.


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